Recovery
by Ahn-Li Steffraini
Summary: Sequel to Path Left Unwandered. The heroes battle to save something more precious to the King than life itself... his soul.
1. Chapter 1

**Recovery**

A GW fan fic

By Miiro

* * *

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Guild Wars, but I do own both the full Prophecies and the Factions Pre-Order… 

**Summary**: A fic set in between Path Left Unwandered and Windborn

**Author's Note**: Back sooner by popular demand. Unfortunately, no matter how much I tried I doubt I was able to make this one match the last one. Hopefully I didn't screw up my own timeline too badly either…

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_**Chapter One**_

Sleep was a wonderful thing when you managed to actually get sleep. Rurik was just beginning to fall asleep again when the cry pierced through the house. A motion on Selena's side told him that she had, again, gotten up to feed Salamar. He cracked an eyelid and was rather surprised to note that it was in the day. Sitting up slightly, wincing as he did so, he looked out the window to the sea outside. A few moments later, Selena walked in to the room. She was fully dressed in skirt, tunic, and one of his belts to tie it all in that she had to wrap twice around her.

"You're awake," she smiled as she sat on the side of bed closet to him and smoothed back his hair that was ruffled from sleep. "Hungry?"

"No…" his stomach growled. "Yes."

He moved to get up and she pressed a hand on his shoulder, "Oh no you don't."

"Selena, I've been resting all damn week since we got here!" he protested.

As a final parting gift, Lynn Matheri had taken those who wanted to return to New Ascalon back to the former Guild Islands south of Lion's Arch. Selena, not liking the chill of Droknar's Forge, had decided it best for Rurik's recovery if they went to the warmer isles. As usual since returning from the Fire Islands, Rurik himself had been asleep when the decision had both been made and for the transfer. Awakening in the second strange place, though thankfully warmer clime had been a not entirely welcome surprise. The argument between him and Selena had been loud, drawn out, and likely sent a good many Ascalons running for cover once they fully realized who had been arguing and with whom, especially when Selena had walked out on him, screamed something like, "Dammit, Rurik, it was for your own damn good!" and slammed the door hard enough to rattle windows.

A few hours later, after saving enough energy to go look for her in the village and get dressed, Rurik had found her by a small pond just inside the main part of the village. While he wasn't in his usual armor—and how that seemed to be a part of him he felt strangely naked without! —people still recognized him, bowed, and then went on with their business. It was only after talking with Selena by the tranquil pond he looked around with a pained gasp.

The island looked like Ascalon before the Searing. In fact, if anything, it looked like her old home of Ashford, if not for the fact that in port there was two massive galleons and the sea beyond. Looking the other way he could see a massive castle that looked painfully like his old home in Rin.

He still awoke some time later in their house by the beach. When he asked, she told him he fell asleep listening to the frogs and the birds by the pond and that Captain Greywind had helped carry him home.

That had been a few days ago.

And now, even while arguing with her he still felt like at any moment sleep was going to ambush him and carry him back down into the inky black depths of unconsciousness. Finally, she sighed, and said, "Go back to sleep, you look like you're about to anyway. I'll wake you when lunch is ready and bring it in to you."

Rurik yawned, "No… I can stay awake. Eventually, I'm going to have to stay awake to deal with everything anyway."

"Yes, eventually, but not right now," she stood up while running one slender finger down his nose to his mouth to keep him from protesting again. "You've been through so much. This is your body making you rest so that you can recover."

"Hmmm," Rurik mumbled as his eyes slid shut again. "Maybe for a few minutes…"

Selena stood there for a moment more, watching him sleep. His face had relaxed and the lines had smoothed, making him look almost as he had before the Searing. She wondered if he remembered her from before the Searing. He should have, come to think of it, since she was there when he had asked Terryann to back him up when the Charr broke through the Northern Wall at the Gate. She was sure he would have remembered her healing him… but perhaps not. It had been a long time ago and he might have met so many new men and women vying to enter the Academy that one more necromancer after hundreds in the same day would have only been a small bat of an eyelid and nothing more.

* * *

_Sometime before the Searing, but after the King called for more Heroes…._

It had been a long day and so many aspiring heroes of Ascalon had come to Rurik asking for silly things like finding a Charr Tooth in the Catacombs, to whom he had the following internal dialog; _Take it Mhenlo, wasn't the one who gave the quest in the first place? Oh… Mhenlo told you to give it to me, okay whatever. Thanks, here's ten gold, geez, I'm going to kill Greywind_…

Finally, the young warrior ran off and Rurik sighed just as the… dammit, actually, he had given up trying to count the various professions and the mixing of. Some he didn't see lasting long out there, some he lifted a brow at, and some just frightened him. A young Ranger came up to him, "Your highness!"

"Yes?" drawled Rurik as he noticed her companion, a tiny Necromancer and thought, _Now there's one that won't last very damn long out there… oh wait… she's already in the Vanguard? I give her two minutes with the Charr and I'll be telling her parents that they have to bury their little girl_…

They left and he sighed, "So sad…"

Cynn came up to him, "What is?"

"You see that young Necromancer?" asked Rurik.

"Which one out of the hundreds today?"

"I did not see hundreds… did I?" Rurik turned to Cynn in puzzlement.

"Maybe not, but there were tons of them," she said as she walked back by the wall, shrugging. "Seen one Necro, seen 'em all."

That much true…

Finally, a warrior, an older one, came up to him, "Greetings, your highness."

"Siuil," Rurik shook the man's hand. "What can I do for you today?"

"Have you seen a Necromancer about this tall," asked Siuil La Rune.

Rurik looked at him, a blank expression on his face. "No Necromancers?" asked Siuil, and Cynn began to chortle behind him. "What's so funny?"

"Oh yes, Siuil, I've seen a Necromancer woman that tall," Rurik answered blandly. "In fact," he pointed one way, "One went that way…" he pointed back down the stairs, "One went that-a-way," and then he used both hands to point in two directions while crossing arms in front of him, "Actually, I seen a few go all over the place, really…"

Cynn burst out laughing.

"Very funny…" Siuil rolled his eyes as he walked back down the stairs.

"I'm sorry, Siuil! There's just been too many!" called Rurik just as his friend disappeared behind a wall. "Well, that was certainly priceless…"

* * *

True to her promise, Selena came back into the room, Delei behind her with a tray laden with food. Rurik was still sleeping so she gently shook his arm and called, "Rurik, come on, wake up. You need to eat something." 

He opened his eyes and took a big breath of air as he looked around, blinking his eyes. She piled up some pillows as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "How long was I asleep?"

"About a half hour," answered Selena. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, I think," said Rurik as he rubbed his face.

Delei sat the tray down over his legs. With a bow, she backed out of the room. Selena sat beside him as he ate. "Not eating?" he asked.

"I already did," she answered. "I don't eat near as much as you, then again, I'm no where the same size as you either."

He looked over at her, "You don't eat enough, from what I remember. You always ate like a sick bird, just little bites here and there."

Rurik finished his meal and Selena moved the tray to the dresser so that when Delei looked in next she would know to take it away. Rurik, settling into the pillows, but still half sitting, asked, "I don't suppose there's anything to read while I'm not going anywhere?"

"I can check," Selena sighed. "Maybe, if you're up to it in a few days, we can go see the library and find any books you'd like to read. Mhenlo tells me that you'll be all right for short trips around the village, but you will still need plenty of bed rest."

"Don't get me wrong, I still feel as if I need all that rest," he admitted, half closing his eyes. "I still feel so tired all the time…"

"I think that is due to how long you spent 'awake' when Khilbron animated you," she tapped one finger on the back of his hand. "Your mind was never allowed to sleep for months, so now it is taking the time to rest itself. Your body, on the other hand, is feeling the strain from the injuries that killed you, and then being animated, killed, and me bringing you back. Magical resurrection or no, you still need time to heal."

"And sleep is the best healer," he agreed. "So my mother tells me."

"Well, it is," Selena leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"You're unusually affectionate, wife of mine," he smiled.

"Comes from thinking I'd lost you forever."

Rurik closed his eyes, but opened his arms, "Selena… come here, I know I'm falling asleep, but I need to hold you… sometimes I wake up at night and fear that…"

Selena rested her head on his chest, lying in his arms. He mumbled something else but she didn't actually know what he said. "Go back to sleep," she whispered.

He shifted, and then he seemed to simply melt into the bed. Taking one deep breath, he sighed, and then fell asleep, his arms sliding down to rest on the bed, although one arm remained on her back. She sighed as well, then slowly and gently sat back up, moving the one arm that had been on her back to rest on his chest. For a long moment she stared at his sleeping face before bending to kiss his cheek and smooth back his hair out of his face.

With a small smile she realized that he desperately needed a haircut. Finally she got up and silently walked from the room, closing the door quietly behind her. So far, except for a few in the village who knew, no one knew that the Prince had returned. Mhenlo had felt that it was for the best as, if everyone knew about Rurik's return, he would have a never ending line of visitors which would mean that he would not be able to rest at all. Given how much Rurik needed the rest, Selena was glad that Mhenlo had thought of it at all… with a smile this reminded her of the time when, before they had all left Old Ascalon but after the Searing, Rurik had come back with a broken leg.

* * *

"I'm fine." 

Duke Barradin sighed, rolling his eyes at the other companion, Farrah Cappo, as she also rolled her eyes. "No, you can't even walk on that leg!"

Rurik made another attempt to stand, and he even managed to get up, leaning heavily on Old Mack as he did so. "I will not sit by while you and the Vanguard defend us, besides, that Grawl war hammer didn't hit me all that hard. I can walk it off."

He let go of Mack, attempted to take a step, and then promptly fell over with a sharp cry of pain. Grimacing, he whispered through clenched teeth, "It's not that bad…"

"Sure it isn't," said Farrah.

There were a few choices one could do, but Barradin said, "Rurik, why don't you teleport yourself back to Ascalon?"

"I will not leave you behind."

"Don't worry about us," Farrah snorted.

Rurik finally nodded, and one minute he was there, and the next he wasn't.

Opening his eyes he found himself not too far from a bonfire, and a few Elementalists that were dancing. The dancing abruptly stopped at his arrival. One female Ranger ran up to where Tydus was and a short moment later Tydus was running down with a few guards as the Elementalists closed in on Rurik. "Ladies…" Rurik smiled. "Forgive the abrupt arrival."

"Oh, we don't mind," giggled one.

At that point Tydus arrived, "Your Highness, we… are you all right?"

"Not really, no," grimaced Rurik. "A Grawl with a warhammer broke my left leg in a sweep."

Tydus ordered the guards to help with him and they carried Rurik into the Palace and into his rooms. A young woman helped clean up his hair and face of the dust. It was then he realized that the slim and tiny woman was Rosa. With a forced smile through the pain, Rurik nodded to her, "Rosa, I'm glad you're here."

She said nothing, but sat beside his bed. Her green eyes followed every move. It was strange that they were almost mirror like. He stared at her for a long time. It was not as if she tried to communicate, or anything else. It was almost as if she was in a state of semi-catatonia. Actually, his father and mother felt that she was catatonic. Queen Farina often told him that she had to be led around, as if there was no actual person or soul behind those eyes.

King Adelburn, in another issue Rurik had with his father, maintained that the diminutive woman belonged in Sardelac. Rurik did not agree. Rosa was catatonic around everyone else but for Rurik. It was almost the more he could tease out of her, or lure out, the more she slowly came back to herself. She wanted to come back. He knew it—Kasha knew it. If only everyone else did as well…

"You don't belong in Sardelac," he whispered to her, bringing one hand to his lips to kiss the back of it. "No matter what the King says, you don't belong there. If you went back then you would retreat quicker. Not that I blame you."

He dropped her hand to her side just as Adelburn walked into the room. His father stopped for a moment before he compressed his lips into a think line. Father and son regarded each other, and then Adelburn broke the silence with, "How long will you be here?"

"The healers say it will take a few months for my leg to heal," answered Rurik as he turned to Rosa again.

"I wish you'd quit that."

"Quit what?"

"Her mind is running too fast for us to catch her, let alone bring her back," Adelburn sighed as he rested a gentle hand on her head. "It is too bad, really. She was such a pretty girl."

"I wish you'd quit that," Rurik pointed to his father. "Quit speaking as if she's gone already. I get responses from her. She doesn't want to come back, but perhaps she will if we coax her back. Just giving up on her solves nothing."

Adelburn removed his hand from her head, and then grasped her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. She met his gaze squarely and without fear. Thinning his eyes he tried to ascertain whether it was because she wasn't aware of someone looking in her eyes or not. He widened his eyes in surprise.

Oh yes.

There was awareness there. It didn't want to be there, but it was there. Adelburn whispered, "Who are you, woman?"

"Father…" Rurik held up his hand in protest.

"Silence Rurik!" Adelburn boomed and he shook Rosa ever so slightly, just to get her attention on him as she had begun to look away. "Don't look away. Look at me. Now who are you?"

"Enough Father—!"

"—Enough Adelburn!" cried out Queen Farina.

Adelburn let Rosa go and she sank down to sit on her heels and knees, her head hanging down. He stood there, breathing hard and then turned to his Queen, "She runs away, and I can sense the awareness in her!"

"Be that as it may," Farina walked in to take Rosa up and guide her to a cushioned chair. "You had no right to frighten her."

"She wasn't frightened of me," mused Adelburn, just loud enough so that only Farina heard him, as did Rosa. "Not even startled."

"I don't care about that, father," Rurik seemed to be trying to keep a tight rein on his voice. "I didn't like seeing her treated like that. She did not deserve it."

Adelburn harrumphed then turned around to his son, "Now, about this leg of yours. How did it happen?"

"Barradin and I were hunting down a pack of Charr, but outside of Grendich we ran into a pack of Grawl. The last one refused to go down, and used a sweep with his warhammer. Unfortunately for me I did not move out of the way fast enough and he took out my leg," explained Rurik, somewhat sheepishly. "I was simply careless."

"Then let that be a lesson to you," Queen Farina turned to her son. "I have been hearing tales of your exploits. Quite frankly, they worry me. I know about Althea…"

"Mother, please, I'm not ready for that yet," Rurik's voice was rough.

"Ready or not, it needs to be said," Adelburn agreed. "The men say you're fearless, I call it reckless. And you're going to get yourself killed. Are you that much in a rush to join Lady Althea in the Mists?"

For a long moment Rurik was silent. Farina put her hands on her mouth, "Gods… you _are_ trying to get yourself killed."

Adelburn turned strangely quiet. "Farina, out, now. And take Rosa with you. Evidently my son and I need a long talk…"

* * *

Selena sighed. Unfortunately, Farina had been right about her son. Rurik _had_ been in a rush to kill himself. While he couldn't bring himself to actually commit suicide, what he had been doing was a sort of slow suicide. Until the Shiverpeaks when… _no_… she tried not to think about the Frost Gate mission. She had him back now. 

She turned to the soft knock on her door as Cynn walked in the door. "Hi," she said, quietly.

"Hi, Cynn," Selena's voice was equally quiet. "What brings you here?"

"Mhenlo… sort of," answered Cynn. "He's been spending a lot of time around here," she looked at Selena sideways, "But for some reason not many people know why he's here."

"Arya felt that it would best if no one knew Rurik was alive yet," explained Selena. "That way he won't have a constant stream of visitors to disturb him. Once they do know he's back his old Vanguard will be looking for him, as well as the local leaders of the towns of New Ascalon… and Old Ascalon."

"Yeah, I'd gathered that," Cynn nodded. "So, how is he, anyway?"

"Exhausted. He's sleeping right now," Selena sat in one of the chairs in the living room. "I haven't seen you in awhile."

"Yeah, well, Devona and I have been helping your father with those damn Titans that got out before we closed the Door of Komalie," Cynn shrugged. "We managed to clear 'em out of the Maguuma and keep them from going after the Ascalon Settlement. Then, we went back to Drok's to see where they might crop up next and guess what happened?"

"I don't know…"

"They were in Droknar's Forge! But, of course, yours truly cast the Firestorm that fried their butts," Cynn then quieted again, hand over her mouth as she realized her volume might have just been loud enough to disturb Rurik. "Sorry…"

"For future reference, given the location of our bedroom in our house, I doubt he could have heard you," Selena smiled. "But it's better to be safe."

"Yeah, anyway… we're going to Ascalon first," Cynn said cautiously, then dropped her volume lower to a whisper. "King Adelburn requested our help—the Titans are attacking Old Ascalon. Gods, even Gatanx asked us to come, it seems they're coming from that same said Pit of Frostfire."

"I had a bad feeling they might have been," admitted Selena.

"What's this about Titans?" and they both turned sharply to where Rurik leaned against the doorframe leading from the kitchen.

"Prince Rurik… hello…" Cynn bowed. "It's nice to see you up and around again. I was just updating Lady Selena about what her father has been up to."

"Oh?" asked Rurik, a strange little gleam in his eyes. "And what has Lord Siuil La Rune been up to lately?"

Cynn shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking at Selena, who answered, "Not much more than he usually is."

Selena stood up and walked over to her husband who mouthed, "Than he usually is?" then said aloud, "What do you mean by that? That could mean anything, Selena."

"Whether or not it does has no bearing here, Rurik, you should still be in bed," chided his wife. "Mhenlo told you that."

Rurik sighed, "I'm getting bored again and I came downstairs to find a book to read."

Selecting a book from a shelf, and looking at its cover, he lifted it and said, "Job done, now I'm going back to bed to read," he kissed his wife on the cheek and waved to Cynn, rolling his eyes slightly, "Now, you girls go back to gossiping. I have no interest in the latest from Old Ascalon. _Women_…"

With that Rurik disappeared back upstairs and Cynn let go of the breath she was holding. "You think he heard us?"

"Not all of it," surmised Selena. "Only enough to draw the wrong conclusion at the right time."

"That's an interesting way of putting it," Cynn rolled her eyes then gave her friend a nudge on the shoulder. "Say… ah… you think you could come?"

"Why? Arya and my father will have the situation handled, I am sure. Come on, Cynn, you, Devona, Mhenlo, Aidan and Akruan, as well as others from Rurik's old guild and Adelburn's as well will all be there. I am quite sure there is enough people to handle it," Selena sighed. "Besides, if I go, Rurik will be on my heels. You know that as well as I. He has this silly notion that if he lets me out of his sight for a second I'll end up like Althea."

* * *

Rurik was almost to the top of the stairs when he realized that when he had grabbed the glass of water, he had not grabbed his book and had left it on the kitchen table. Walking back down with a small sigh at his own forgetfulness, he stopped when he heard Selena and Cynn. He hadn't realized that the sharp-tongued Elementalist had dropped by for a visit, but then again, he wasn't all that surprised. 

Cynn had presented Selena, when Selena had been Rosa, to Rurik during their wedding ceremony in Grooble's Gulch. The young Elementalist had taken a liking to the quiet 'Rosa' and had often spent her time in camp trying to get her to speak or to take interest in things. Perhaps Cynn's cavalier outlook and spunky zest for life had managed to shake Selena out of the catatonia.

He smiled, but that dropped off when he overhead the conversation, especially when Cynn ever so casually used his name. Their voices were pitched low, so obviously he wasn't supposed to hear which only piqued Rurik's own curiosity more. Silently he moved so that he was out of sight but so that the acoustics of their house would carry their voices to him…

* * *

Cynn went silent for a moment, "Maybe he has a point though. Have you ever told him what his resurrection cost you?" 

When Selena was silent for a long period Cynn surmises, "You haven't. Selena… he deserves to know. After all, I am sure that he has noticed a strong, and near telepathic, bond between the two of you. You can't tell me he hasn't. I sure as the Rift noticed that somehow Rurik cast a Portal to Droknar's Forge from Hell's Precipice… without even ever been there. But you had been. So…"

"I know," Selena made a placating gesture with her hands as she dropped her voice low. "I don't think he's had enough time to really think about it, or wanted to. He will have to deal with it all eventually but his body keeps making him sleep all the time right now. But I know he will—and I'll tell him after he's moved past that."

"Maybe you shouldn't wait," Cynn caught Selena's glare, ignored it, and continued on. "I know that if I was Prince Rurik I would sure as the Rift want to know. I wouldn't be stupid either—and he's sure not. I bet he's already thought of it, but doesn't know how to bring it up."

* * *

For a very, very long moment Rurik stood still in shock. Selena had not told him the full truth, but, as she'd said, perhaps unloading too much wouldn't have been a good idea either. He could see Selena's point although a part of him was extremely disappointed in the fact that she would hide something that serious from him. He shifted his weight and then froze when the conversation came to a quick halt. 

"What was that?" asked Cynn.

Selena frowned as she turned at the sudden creaking that she had very nearly missed had Cynn not caught it. "I'm not sure. It is a wooden house. It could have been the wind causing the house to shift."

"Houses shift?" Cynn squeaked. "I lived in a castle in Surmia… rock does not shift."

"Well, wood does slightly. It's nothing to worry about, Cynn," Selena smirked at her friend's sudden discomfiture. "What's wrong, a little wood creaking making you nervous?"

"What? No!" Cynn playfully punched Selena in the arm. "C'mon, surely you know me better than that. I'm not afraid of some little wood creaking."

"Now, you said that Adelburn himself was going…" Selena turned back to the stairs in a bit of concern.

"So says Devona, anyway," answered Cynn as she picked up a cup and looked at its empty bottom. "It should be a barrel of fun. Your father, King Adelburn, his personal guards… most of our old party, Arya and Akruan… yeah, like old times. I wonder if the old man is anything like his son."

"Cynn…" Selena's tone warned Cynn about the territory she was about to walk into as she turned to face her friend and grabbed the cup to take it up to the kitchen. "A little respect for the man."

"Oh puh-lease," moaned Cynn. "After all that we've been through _now_ you ask for us to respect him?"

"I always respected him," Selena corrected. "I just didn't agree with him. I guess. Rurik actually did not give me much choice in the matter. He sort of whisked me away from Old Ascalon and into the Shiverpeaks."

"Didn't you want to come?"

"Well, after, yes, after all, there was actually nothing left for me there, so he did right."

* * *

Rurik needed to shift his weight again as his leg was cramping, and he didn't need to hear his wife's voice coming closer to the stairs that would take her up one half level to the kitchen. He slowly backed up to the next landing that would take him up to their bedroom. Sitting on the stairs out of sight of the kitchen, but able to hear the conversation, he leaned on the wall as both Selena and Cynn walked into the kitchen. 

He had a sinking feeling he knew what they were discussing. And he wasn't sure if he liked the idea of his father going on that particular mission.

* * *

Cynn sat down at the table as Selena put the cup in the sink. "How many more Titan attacks have there been?" 

"Not many," answered Cynn. "Devona believes that this Pit of Coldfire or whatever it is that Gatanx told you about is up to the North of Old Ascalon. Both she and Gatanx, going from what he knows of his people's lore, believe that not only is the Titan Source to the North, but the Pit of Coldfire that forced the Charr out of the North are one and the same."

"And—what was that?" asked Selena as she looked sharply up the stairs at the sudden gasp from the stairs.

Walking around the corner, as regally as one could after being caught eavesdropping, Rurik came down into the kitchen. He ignored his wife's glare, and Cynn's, as Cynn said blandly, "Now who would have thought that the Prince would resort to eavesdropping on idle women's gossip?"

"Very funny, but this is clearly not idle gossip," Rurik turned to his wife. "How well you learn of court intrigue and, conversely, of leadership. I'm not sure if I should be ashamed or proud of you. Now, tell me what is going on around here that a Prince doesn't know what is going on in his own Kingdom."

"Excuse me, your Highness," Cynn retorted. "But right now you're not officially alive yet until Mhenlo tells you otherwise. Until then, Lady Selena rules in your stead."

Rurik glared at Cynn, and Cynn simply stared blandly right back up at him. Finally he drew a deep breath in and let it back out in a long-suffering sigh. Pointing a finger in Cynn's general direction he pointed and said, "You're very lucky that Selena has taken a liking to you, and that you are considered a hero of Ascalon, both old and new."

Cynn, for once, was quiet. Rurik turned to Selena with a glare that had once made even Lord Darrin back down. He wasn't all that surprised to note that it did not make her back down from him. She returned it with her own and they simply tried to stare each other down for awhile until she said, "We can either continue to stare each other down, or we can talk this over. I have both grown and regained my strength since the Searing. When you… when you died I had to lead them to Kryta, and then I had to lead them while in Kryta. And then here as well. I tried to step down but they wanted me to stay. Given the problems that continued I am sure you can understand why, out of habit, I have continued to lead New Ascalon even when you are here again," she stepped forward to reach up to lay a hand on his cheek, "we will share this weight once Mhenlo says you have recovered—although, to be honest, I would rather just continue to live quietly. No more Stone Summit, no more war with the Charr, no more White Mantle. Just you, me, and Salamar."

Rurik sighed again, touching a hand that was on his cheek. "You were always strong, always matured. But, like me, you needed to recover."

"Um, yeah, obviously you two need a moment, so I'm just going to go see if I can find Devona and the others," with that Cynn walked down the short set of steps to the main level and then out of the house.

Selena watched her friend leave then was surprised as Rurik stepped in close to her and pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. He ran his hands up and down her back, ruffling the fabric of her blouse. He pulled away and took a deep breath of her hair. She looked up at him, a little out of breath from the sudden 'attack' on her, "You're feeling better, I see."

"I am," he used both hands to cup her face as he continued to kiss her, alternating between that and pulling her to him. "And I am suddenly very aware," he paused to nibble her ear, "of how much I've missed being able to do this," he stopped as he breathed in her hair again, "And I feel… much better."

"Mhmmm," she hummed. "I can see that…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Selena woke a few hours later to Salamar's cries. She was about to get up when Rurik sat up and walked out of the room to take care of him. She lay back in the bed as he walked back in, Salamar in his arms, and sat down beside her. "I think he's hungry."

"Likely," she agreed as she took Salamar from Rurik. "You know, I have not been with anyone else but you…"

Rurik went still for a moment, and then in a low voice pointed out, "I did not want that. There was not a day I wondered that if you have found another to replace me after I died when I found out how long I had been dead, and then animated. I hoped that someone would finally give me peace and that also someone was making you happy…"

She closed her eyes as Salamar fed, then crossed her eyes as he bit down on her. "Ow, your son has teeth…" she chuckled. "I think it's time we started weaning him."

"I was going to point out that he was getting rather heavy, as well as strong," he rolled over to his side. "I was thinking."

"I thought I smelled something burning," she wisecracked.

"Very funny. Cynn's acerbic personality is rubbing off on you, I see," Rurik rolled his eyes. "But seriously, I was thinking; it's not good for the boy to be alone. Now, I know childbearing is difficult on women, but I would love another—maybe even two…" he caught her glare, "…eventually? Maybe? Look, we will have another. Maybe not immediately, but it will happen unless we stop loving each other like we just finished doing."

"I'm surprised you're not sleeping off the exertion, actually," she pointed out, then noticed his tired eyes. "Oh, I see, you're about to. But you're able to talk instead of sleep."

"Well, yes, as much as I'd like the nap," he admitted. "But we have to talk eventually, and you do owe me answers."

"I do?"

"Yes, like what is this 'soul-bond' that Cynn talked about, the one that has something to do with what it cost you to even resurrect me," he finally came out and said. "As well as the truce with the Charr I still do not know the full story behind, and the strained relation between you and my father and Old Ascalon. Why he would call for your father and Devona to even return to Ascalon after he exiled us… why he would even be speaking to us."

For a long moment Selena was silent as she considered Rurik's demand for explanations. Finally she sighed as she burped Salamar and sat up. She took him back to his room and came back, stills strangely silent. "I wish you never asked that of me," she admitted, closing her eyes as she looked from him to out the window as she opened them again. "Very well, I will explain what even my father does not fully understand."

He started to speak, but she held up one hand, "Don't. Not until I finish one story. Then you can ask about it."

Rurik nodded his agreement, "I agree. Tell me."

"They are all very long stories," she began. "Pick one for today, then I will finish it and when you are ready to hear the next, I will explain it."

"What it cost you to resurrect me," Rurik asked. "It is the closest and more immediate of my concerns—that of my family."

Selena sighed, "Are you familiar with the 'Soul Bond'?"

Rurik shook his head, "No, that was a Monk or Necromancer term I never really learned about in school. My secondary profession was always Elementalist, so in between the army and the classes in school for that, I never had a chance to explore the Monk or Necromancer professions."

"The Soul Bond is a rare, often dangerous, divine area. It has everything to do with bonds, as the name implies. However, unlike most bonds that last for mere battles and require renewal, this is lifelong… for both parties of it. It can only ever be cast upon two people by the direct Will of Dwayna," explained Selena, and she sighed. "The only other case I have ever heard of with the Soul Bond was a barely known pair of heroes that have been so long dead that their very names are no longer known."

She continued, "But, once Soul Bonded, it can never be broken. Only death can break it, and if one partner dies the backlash for the other is…"

The pause caused Rurik to suddenly worry and he leapt in, "Is what? Selena… tell me… how bad is the backlash?"

Looked into his eyes with a haunted expression, "Death. If one dies, so does the other. Our strength is now shared, and as the bond grows stronger we will also be able to communicate at a distance through our thoughts. You see, with this bond the Gods consider us one whole soul. To break the bond would mean our deaths."

"Why?" he whispered, mouth dry. "Why was such a bond necessary?"

"Because," she whispered. "You had been dead so long that your soul had already been claimed. When you were animated, your soul began to deteriorate. If we had not destroyed Khilbron's hold on you 'Rurik' would have been permanently destroyed. No afterlife, no meeting again in the Rift. You were barely there as it was."

He was well aware of that. Long before they had taken him down he had felt his grip on who he was slip away by degrees. He had no doubt that if it had been allowed to go on longer he would have been no better than the undead that had haunted the catacombs in the Ashford Abbey before the Searing. All he would have been was one more lost soul—doomed to wander and wail his anger at both the gods and the living. Then he realized it, "Then how did you bring me back?"

"I gave your soul… I gave half my own soul to you to fill in what was missing and took half of what was left of you…" she smiled. "And then Dwayna was able to bring you back. But, there is no going back from this now. That is how you were able to cast a Portal to Droknar's Forge. You had never been there, but I had. You used the knowledge from me that you then had at that moment because the Bond had been sealed and were able to cast the Portal to a place you had never personally been. Even now, if you truly thought about it you could recall memories of mine and see what happened after you died in the Frost Gate and see how we fared to Kryta… and beyond. As I can also pull on your memories…" she closed her eyes and smiled, "I can see all the places you have been… as well as the horrors you've seen after you were animated. That, perhaps, is the ultimate cost. There can be no more secrets between us, and we can no longer protect each other from knowledge best left unknown. But you know that now because you are thinking about it."

Rurik laid back his eyes closed. He was not asleep as tears rolled down his face. "Oh Selena… I can see that… you don't have to explain Gatanx… you don't have to explain why my father sought you out and not the other way around as I first thought. I am so sorry that I was not there to support you as I should have…"

He sat up, kissed her full on the lips then pulled her down to lay on his chest as they simply lay there for a long time. Eventually, he was actually able to fall asleep given how much he had been told and had been given to absorb. Selena sighed. His knowing of the Soul Bond would change everything. He would now know about the Titan threat… and knowing Rurik he also would want to do something directly. Now he would also want to officially take over as Lord of New Ascalon, and, granted, it was his right to. But he was still weak from his ordeal, and perhaps with the Soul Bond he would know better than to push himself too hard.

Rurik woke a few hours later, and noted with chagrin that it was now full dark outside. He took a deep breath in and looked down to where his wife lay sleeping with her head in the crook of his shoulder, her arm over his chest. Closing his eyes he thought about what she had told him.

A flash of something… something not his to remember… pushed to his thoughts. He knew it was one of her memories.

* * *

Lady Rosa stood up by the beacon on the very summit of the mountain that Beacon's Perch was famed for, looking out over the path south, and west. A dwarf stood by her side. Rosa now was dressed in a mid way noble dress, although she felt that if she wore too much dress it would hinder her movements. So she wore what she had found of Rurik's clothing, tucking and pulling it in by using belts. Captain Greywind had brought her a spare cloak of Rurik's. She still wore her wedding band, as well as the circlet. Lina, as well as a Necromancer called Eve, was now a permanent fixture at her side.

"My lady, Terrence and Terryann La Rune, and Aidan, have gone with Devona, Cynn and Mhenlo to retrieve the stolen supplies," he stopped as she looked over at him. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"No, Captain," she said. "There is not. What of this other hero, Siuil La Rune?"

"He is leading a group of refugees with Orion, Stefan, and a few of the others in the Vanguard," answered Greywind. "There is another small matter that needs your attention."

"Yes?" she asked.

"Old Mack's devourer requires a lot of meat to feed," said Greywind carefully as he saw the woman frown. "Should I order him to put his… pet… down?"

"No, have someone leave camp and kill juniper barks," she said. "I remember someone saying that the devourer… Joe?… was partial to the meat of the juniper bark. We need all the willing hands… or paws… pincers… anything, really… to aid us. We will not kill perfectly good pets who defend us simply for eating too much."

"Yes, my Lady," said Greywind. "Your wisdom is, again, a valuable aid to us. May your reign be long."

"It would be better had I no need to lead," she remarked as he left.

* * *

Rurik winced as that memory faded. He certainly hoped that there was some measure of control over them. Then he realized it—Selena had always claimed she had no desire to lead, but now he could sense her dread whenever anyone asked her to lead. She might lead, and do a wonderful job as leader, but she meant what she said when she would rather he remain dead to the rest of Ascalon and let them live out their lives in quiet seclusion.

But, he also had her memory of the dragon Glint, and he knew as well as she did that this would not be. She would be Queen, and he would be King. Granted he was not sure of how that was to come to be, but given the memories they now shared he could see how it could develop.

So… his father _had_ called for him to return to Old Ascalon. He had a vague and fuzzy memory of having such a conversation with his father in Droknar's Forge after his 'rescue' from Hell's Precipice. He also vaguely remembered Lord Darrin and Duke Barradin being there… but it was naught more than that—there was even an extremely vague memory of perhaps his mother hovering over his sick bed every so often, but he had thought that he had been dreaming it. But no, here was Selena's very sharp memory of conversations where Rurik had been up and around…

He sighed. Clearly he should wait for Mhenlo to clear him before trying to adventure again if, according to Selena's version of events, Rurik had since awakening in Droknar's insisted that he was well enough to help Siuil and Devona in clearing out a Titan problem—

Rurik sat straight up, and Selena grunted in protest and sat up, somewhat more slowly, as she brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face, "What is it?"

"The Titans! Ascalon!" he turned to her. "Ascalon is in grave danger as are we all. I remember that Khilbron said that once they were freed that he would control them—however, they are more powerful than the Mursaat and the—"

She held up a hand to his lips, "its taken care of. We know. Lay back down," she pulled him down until he relaxed into the pillows. "See, take a deep breath. Now, my father and Devona are taking care of it. They have already tracked them down to the very source to the far North of Ascalon. Gatanx is with them as both Ambassador and guide. Now, granted, there are a few holdouts to his peace, but those Charr who have accepted it are also backing us up. They don't like the threat anymore than we do."

"Charr and human…" he murmured. "Still so hard to get used to…"

He yawned, already slipping back to sleep when he sensed what his wife was doing. "Minx."

"It's working isn't it? Go back to sleep," she whispered.

He finally settled, his eyes slid closed and with one great sigh he fell back to sleep again. Selena patted his arm before settling back down to sleep herself.

* * *

Selena stood out on the doorstep as the messengers in the form of Duke Barradin and Lord Darrin stood with her. Darrin cleared his throat, "Now, I understand if this a shock to you, my… Queen…"

She looked at Barradin who seemed to have aged in the years that had passed since the Searing. "Gods… already?" she whispered. "He's not well enough yet."

"I was worried about that," admitted Barradin. "But there is no question. I spoke with Mhenlo and he agrees with me that if we do not 'rescue' Prince Rurik now then all of Ascalon will sink into chaos and the shaky peace will collapse. There will be no rescuing Ascalon. We need to bring him out before his people."

She sighed again as she looked up into the sky and to the general direction of the Gods, "Is how you serve to remind us of the path we must take?"

Selena looked down at Barradin and Darrin, "You called me Queen?"

"Indeed," Darrin shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "You see, no one has exactly found Rurik's body so everyone in Ascalon has assumed he survived anyway… they all believe him to be a prisoner of war with the Stone Summit, although no one knows exactly where. But, if we do not get him to come back now I know that the Lords will call for an expedition into Sorrow's Furnace to hunt for him."

"They should anyway," admitted Selena. "There are Ascalons in Sorrow's. Arya, Akruan and Ima have been busy freeing those they could find. But we know there must be more that serve as slaves and this cannot be allowed."

Barradin and Darrin exchanged a glance, and Barradin explained, "Ah yes, and how quickly you understand why you are now Queen, even if Rurik is not found soon. You led those of New Ascalon to this new land, and gave us Prince Salamar. You rule as Regent and Steward of Ascalon until Prince Salamar is of age. But, that would be if Rurik were dead… which he is not. Since he is alive and merely a prisoner you rule as Queen."

"You leave me with little choice. Have Arya meet me in Thunderhead Keep when she can, well enough to rule or not, Rurik will have to recover the rest of the way in Old Ascalon after his coronation," Selena sighed. "Tell the people that their new King is alive and well… and has been freed from a far worse place than Sorrow's. Don't go into detail, however. I will take Rurik to Thunderhead Keep and will meet Arya there in a few months."

Lord Darrin's eyes widened, "Very well my Queen. It will be done as you say."

"If it is not too much trouble, make sure Queen Farina is there as well. I think she would like to see both her son and her grandson…" with that Selena retired into her house, and her door closed.

Delei, her handmaiden bowed to them, "My lady will need time to prepare for her journey, but it would likely be wise to depart shortly."

"We're leaving," said Barradin. "We have an Flaming Scepter Mage that can teleport us directly to Droknar's."

* * *

Rurik walked down the stairs as he had seen Barradin and Darrin walk away from the house. He was dressed and ready to leave the house, but upon walking into the kitchen where he saw his wife reading a letter over and over again he suddenly didn't feel like chasing after them. He sat down at the table opposite from her. He could feel the incredible sadness and grief… as well as great trepidation and anger that rolled off her in waves. "What happened?" he asked.

She looked up into his eyes. Then she looked away, her hands falling into her lap. "Your father, King Adelburn de Drascir, is dead," she answered quietly. "He was killed during the mission to defeat the Titans."

He could only sit there, stunned into silence. But he was shocked out it when he heard her whisper, "Long live King Rurik of Ascalon."

* * *

The ship slid into port and bumped against the wood dock. Siuil watched as the crew threw the rope over the rails and to the dock where dockworkers tied off the ship to prevent it from suddenly moving and throwing those on it into the cold water when they disembarked. There was a bit of a crowd gathered. Mostly those who had been rescued from Sorrow's Furnace. Everyone had already heard about King Adelburn and so Queen Selena and Prince Salamar's arrival was a bittersweet one.

Sadsa Asd came to the top of the ramp, saw Siuil and Arya, nodded, then moved back out of the way as she knelt as a shadow moved to the top of the ramp. Taking her cue, Siuil and Arya also knelt. There was a collective gasp and they could hear the crowd bowing, and kneeling. One shaky voice, irony would have it that it was Old Mack's, as he cleared his voice and tried again, "Long live King Rurik and Queen Selena!"

This was echoed and Siuil looked up in surprise to see Rurik standing at the very top of the ramp, one step away from moving off the ship. Selena stood just behind him. Her handmaiden, Delei, held Prince Salamar. Slowly, and although the rest would mistake it for regally, Siuil could see that Rurik had still not fully recovered and so he knew it was actually carefully, Rurik walked down the short ramp and onto the more solid dock. Selena stepped down beside him, with Delei and Sadsa just behind. Rurik wore a warm tunic, an over tunic and pants. His cloak was longer and fur lined. And, although he was now king, he still wore his circlet instead of the crown.

Selena wore a dress, but Arya poked Siuil and pointed out that they could see the boots to her Necromancer's armor underneath. This could only mean that underneath the rich grey-blue dress she wore her Bonelace armor from the Granite Citadel.

"Please stand," Rurik said. "You never had to kneel before with me. Do not start now. I am honored at the reception although I wish it were under better circumstances."

He walked over to his old Vanguard and Captain Greywind bowed, as did Old Mack and Armin Saberlin. "My… King…" said Greywind, a sad smile on his face as Rurik clasped his hand. "I am glad to see you alive and well."

"As I am glad to see you alive and well," Rurik looked from one to the other of his leading members of the vanguard that chose to follow him into the Shiverpeaks and to Kryta. He looked around with a sad smile.

Duke Barradin stood by next and Rurik walked up the gathered Lords of Ascalon, the ruling nobility, and one by one they knelt before him. Barradin stood first then, with one half step forward pulled Rurik into a tight hug. "Ah… I wish this meeting was a better one," admitted Barradin when he pulled away as he noted the grey in Rurik's hair where before there had been none. "Time hasn't been kind to you either, my old friend."

Rurik shook his head, "No, it hasn't to any of us. I am… I understand that… that he died quickly. I miss him. We were not on good terms in the end and I wish I could have rectified that before this happened."

"As do we," said Lord Darrin, quietly. "Now that you are King, your Majesty, do you intend to rule from Old Ascalon or new?"

"I intend to head back to Rin and visit my mother. I have no doubt that she needs the kind face," said Rurik. "I am told that Old Ascalon recovers and a new peace has been forged. New Ascalon is now safe and secure. Old Ascalon needs the King's personal attention. Rin is, and has always been, the capital. And so it shall be… but… perhaps with the new peace we can rebuild Drascir and forge anew."

"Very good, sire," said one Lord. "We were worried you would abandon us altogether."

"Far from it," Rurik frowned. "But I do not wish to discuss this now. I am told that King Jalis wishes to meet us in his capital of Thunderhead Keep. And so, I would wish to travel there."

Rurik nodded once to Duke Barradin and then walked back to where Arya was talking to Selena.

* * *

"One last hill," Barradin smiled as he led Rurik to a hill overlooking Rin.

Siuil looked over at Arya as they saw Rurik turn silent as he approached the hill that would both overlook Stormcaller and the city of Rin. Rurik paused, turned to Selena as he brought her up to stand beside him. Before either of them stepped up to actually see the city she looked up at him. Devona explained in a whisper, "Rin is where Rurik would remember Adelburn… the clearest he can… and it also where Rurik was cast from Ascalon. Even though King Adelburn took back his harsh words mere months after it would also be the last Rurik remembers of Ascalon. I can imagine that this moment is likely rather painful…"

Finally, with a breath in and out, and Selena's hand in his they both stepped out from around the outcropping of rock and started upon Rin. For a long moment Rurik only stared at the rebuilt city, and the new growth of trees and grass, then he turned to look at his old friends. "It is just as I thought it would," he admitted. "I always knew that when the crown passed to me that my friends would be there to make sure I made it. But too many are missing…"

Duke Barradin cleared his throat, "Sire, it is time. Your people wait for your return."

With a sigh, Rurik walked the rest of the way down until he stepped onto the cobblestone street. There were still Charr present, but unlike before these Charr actually aided the Ascalons in different tasks. A few Charr even oversaw some of the tasks. It was a different kind of juxtaposition, and Rurik turned to Barradin in confusion, "I thought that my father did not think the Charr were capable of peace."

"Your father changed his mind about a lot of things before he died. Gatanx's courage, for one," Barradin leaned back. "Gatanx impressed King Adelburn, Rurik. I think it was mostly due to Ambassador Gatanx that made your father come around. I also think it helped greatly that once the true culprit behind the Searing and the war with the Charr came out that the Charr, warlike as they are, chose to side with us in repelling the White Mantle when they turned on us."

Rurik turned back to the rebuilt capital. "We could rebuild Drascir," he thought aloud. "I have always wanted to see Drascir rebuilt… but perhaps now is not the time for that. We have too many cities with people in them to rebuild first."

The entourage walked through the streets, and given the size of the group it was not too long before they were noticed. Someone above them cried out, "It's Prince Rurik! Rurik has returned to us! Praise be to Dwayna!"

Murmuring began and people lined up in the streets to watch. Rurik seemed to unconsciously straighten his back even more, and he put Selena's arm on his. Selena, for a moment, seemed to shrink from the sudden attention paid to her, but with a sigh she also stood straighter. Coolly, quietly, she let Rurik take over as he led her to the palace. Rurik smiled slightly, "You've been here before."

"Yes, however I was not in my right mind," she answered. "Before the Searing I admit I dreamed of being a princess, but I don't think I ever really wanted to have to be."

"True leaders never do," murmured Barradin from behind her. "You remind me of Althea. All cool and collected on the exterior, but all insecurities when in private."

As they walked through the city to the palace, people even threw blossoms into their path until it appeared to almost rain flower petals. As they drew closer, lengths of ribbon from the richer nobility rained down and cheering began. Upon stepping into the cool interior of the Rin Palace Rurik saw that things had not changed. The dust that had always been present Post-Searing was gone. The Tapestries were lovingly restored and the stone scrubbed to a gleam. The marble tiling was polished to a high shine. He sighed again, "Just like it was before the Searing…"

He felt Selena's grip tighten slightly as if to remind him that not all was as it was. Now he had her support. He patted her hand that was in the crook of his elbow, "I'm sorry, it's just a bit painful right now… too many memories I guess."

"We'll make new ones," she murmured.

Rurik looked around. In the massive entry hall to greet them was an honor guard and a gaggle of young noble ladies to the side who were doing their best to get his attention. His mother stood in the center of the room. Rurik walked forward, guiding Selena as he did so. Duke Barradin stayed behind, as he and Siuil stood just inside the doors with Rurik's own entourage and honor guard. Taking Selena's hand off of his arm, Rurik guided Selena as they both bowed to his mother. "Mother," he said as Selena let go of his hand to allow him to kneel in front of the older woman.

"Rurik," Queen Farina said, touching his shoulders with her hands. "Welcome home."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Farina led her son through the restored halls of their home to the throne room. She pushed open the doors to where the empty throne sat on its low dais. On the throne under a dark purple shroud was the crown of Ascalon. He stood there for a long time, his mother's hand on his shoulder. "You knew that one day you would stand here for this reason," she pointed out. "I miss him as well."

"But I left with too much bad blood between us," Rurik continued to glare at the crown. "He threw me out. I never expected to be in this position again, Mother. He removed me as his heir from what I understand. And so I left."

"He realized his mistake when you did," Farina sighed. "He tried to call for you, to get you to come back. But by then it was too late. You had reached the Shiverpeaks and all effort to contact King Jalis was met with dead messengers from the Stone Summit. Then Gatanx showed up and told a very surprised Duke Barradin, I might add, that you had fallen just outside of the Frost Gate… and that the Stone Summit were responsible. King Jalis was in trouble and needed our help and would give us a way to survive the winter if Ascalon were willing to aid him."

"How did my father react to Gatanx's offer?" Rurik smiled; sometimes that particular Charr surprised the Rift out of him.

"With great mistrust until Gatanx swore on both the shrine of Dwayna and Balthazar that he told the unadulterated truth and may the Gods strike him down if he lied," Farina smiled. "Then Gatanx put his hands on the feet of Dwayna on her statue and made his oath. As you well know, the Gods did not strike him down. Then he swore to act as Ambassador for the Charr to us. Only once these two oaths were made and bound by the Gods did your father stop screaming at his guards to kill Gatanx. Once the battle was over Adelburn cautiously approached Gatanx and demanded to know why a Charr would try to make peace with Ascalon now."

"And?"

"Gatanx's story shocked all of us," admitted Farina. "He told us you fell to the axe of a Stone Summit leader. Your father stood so still for a long time that we all feared that he had died on the spot, and then he cried out your name in grief and fell to his knees. Gatanx stood him up again and motioned for one of his honor guard to take him into the palace. For a large beast like creature Gatanx was so gentle. I approached him after and he deferred to me more than the men."

Rurik smirked. Selena had told him of the matriarchal culture of the Charr in great detail. "And it was through Gatanx you learned of my marriage to Selena?"

"No, actually, Gatanx managed to guide Duke Barradin, Lord Darrin and Warmaster Grast to King Jalis through hostile territory to Thunderhead Keep. It was King Jalis who confirmed that he had seen you fall, but, as no one had actually found your body he actually suspected that you had been dragged off as a prisoner of war in someplace called Sorrow's Furnace," Farina explained. "This did nothing for King Adelburn's peace of mind. He blamed himself that he could have listened instead of blowing up when you suggested backing away from the war. And if he had only listened and not banished you then you would not have been either killed… or worse…"

Rurik's expression darkened, and Farina leaned in to her son to touch his cheek, "What did happen out there?"

With a heavy sigh, Rurik removed his mother's hand and turned from the throne room, "Worse. I had been killed. Selena brought me back at great cost to herself because she could not bear the weight of living alone."

Farina followed her son out into the antechamber outside the throne room, closing the double doors as she did so. He sat down on the padded benches outside, steepling his fingers and looking down at them as he leaned with his arms on his legs. "You know what the worst part of all this is?" he asked. "It's the fact that Selena and I knew this was to happen but could do nothing to prevent it. Even if I could have gone with them—firstly there was no guarantee that it would have prevented father's death—but that it could have killed both of us and left Ascalon with no leadership at all."

"We would have had Selena as Steward until Prince Salamar was of age," pointed Farina. "It was not as if we had no one."

"A Lady of New Ascalon that as far as the rest of Ascalon was concerned was my ward because she was not in her right mind to lead her own life and so needed me to make the decisions for her and a son that would not be able to be confirmed as my own," Rurik shook his head. "No, mother, even had she not brought me back there was no guarantee that the noble houses would accept her as Queen or Salamar as their King. But why force our hands with coming back here?"

"We cannot presume to know the will of the Gods," said Farina. "At least, not in this lifetime."

"Mother, by all rights I should not be King. I was exiled—disowned by my father—and then I was outright killed. I was dead. Rift… I was animated as undead and had the dubious honor of feeling my soul fade away…" as Rurik finished this last Farina's hands went to her mouth and she sat down beside him, hugging him close. "Once that began there was no way to actually bring me back. Even now, and to the Rift with the man that tells Selena this, I still feel… not all here. Not whole. As if I have lost parts of me that I will never, ever, get back. I still feel _lost_."

For a long moment Farina thought on this, then she simply took her son's right hand and held it, her arm over his shoulders. She knew that asking him to come back so soon was a mistake, but unfortunately events had again forced all of their collective hands. Rurik had still not recovered, that much was clear, and even though he should be confiding this with his wife, he still tried to protect a woman that could very much take care of herself. So Farina assumed. In truth she was not sure if the crisp façade that Selena kept up when all other eyes were on her was the same as Rurik. The same as even Farina herself—and many others she knew. Even Adelburn kept up appearances of being in control as things slipped away from him and it had always scared him to death of what would happen if he actually did lose control.

Perhaps that was what caused most of the fights between the father and the son. The two were so similar it was painful to look upon Rurik. Granted, Farina was a traditional queen. Adelburn had been sent Farina when her father felt that a noble lady would further cement the young king's hold on his own crown. Duke Barradin stepped into the antechamber but quickly backed out again. Murmured voices could be heard, "The Queen Mother and our new King are in the antechamber. I do not think he is ready for audiences yet."

"But I must speak with the King," the woman cried. "I must! It is of utmost importance."

Rurik sighed, "And so duty calls my name again."

He rubbed his face and stood. Farina watched as his expression turned into his usual warm, but distant, expression that he had always adopted for in court. Farina remained seated and Rurik opened the door in one swift, smooth motion, "What's this about needing to see the King?"

Barradin motioned to the young woman, whom Rurik remembered from the gaggle of young noblewomen. She was too young to really be in court alone but he knew that it was common practice to have handmaidens. She curtseyed and said, "My King, thank you for seeing me."

"And what did you need to see us for?" asked Rurik.

"My lady sent me to bring you this message. I am in the service of Lady Maria of Surmia and she wishes to speak to you about a distant member of her family," she answered.

"And where is Lady Maria?" asked Rurik.

"She is in her rooms where she has been a guest of Rin since Surmia was destroyed," answered the handmaiden. "How shall I answer her?"

Rurik sighed, "Tell her I will see her tonight before dinner, if that is proper with her. I shall be sorting out proper funeral arrangements…"

"Your father has already had a proper funeral," murmured Farina.

"I see…" Rurik thought a moment. "However, there are affairs of the coronation to think about, as well as a possible wedding."

"That is what she wishes to speak to you about—she would respectfully request that you consider a niece of her Noble House as your future Queen," the handmaiden was suddenly put off by Rurik's sudden laughter.

"Forgive me, young handmaiden, but I have no need of a wife," Rurik handed the piece of paper back to the handmaiden. "If this is what this letter is about it is wasted paper. I have a wife and Queen. I also have a Prince to carry on my line that was given to me a few years ago. I am afraid that whatever news or gossip in court that makes me available is in serious error. That will be addressed tomorrow when I address the court. Now, was there anything else?"

"No, my King, there was not," the handmaiden curtseyed.

"Very well, you may leave then."

The handmaiden almost ran back down the same hall and Barradin leaned in close, "You know, that cool dismissal of Lady Maria of Surmia is going to cost you."

"I don't care," Rurik growled. "I have been harassed by the Noble Houses since arriving. Anyone with daughters has been beating down Queen Selena's door, wondering why I am not looking for a wife. I will renew my vows with Selena in the grand affair she deserves. We are already married in the eyes of all the Gods and with Noble witness. I want no mistake made in knowing that. As well, I want no mistake in knowing that I have a son who is now my heir that can almost walk on his own. I am not looking for a wife!"

Rurik stalked away in the opposite direction, seething. How dare they assume that he was still a single man! Court intrigue and ladies' gossip had by far never bothered him before but this was almost acidic in its affect. He had no recourse but to refuse and in so doing had likely damaged his reputation with the Noble Houses. "Damn them!" he slammed the door to his rooms and Selena jumped from where she leaned on the balcony to stand up straight and blink in shock.

Salamar began to cry and Selena ran to the neighboring room to comfort their son. Walking back in with a gurgling Salamar in her arms she hissed, "What was that about?"

Rurik crumpled on the spot, barely hearing the cries of his wife as she called for help.

* * *

He woke with Siuil and Devona hovering over him and could hear Mhenlo say to Selena, "He pushed himself too far today. When he wakes give him… oh… he's awake already. Never mind then, I will do so myself."

Siuil moved and Mhenlo replaced him. As Mhenlo poured a cup of mulled wine, he added a few herbs out of a sachet and Siuil helped the half awake Rurik into a sitting position, "Here, drink this. It will make you feel better."

Rurik drank it greedily, not even noticing the faintly cloying sweet smell or the strangely bitter taste of the herbs. He lay back in his pillows as the room slowly spun around him. Selena laid a hand on his arm and feeling that he sank into a deep sleep.

* * *

Selena crossed her arms after Rurik's face relaxed and he began to snore softly. She turned to Siuil and Devona, "I think I will also lay down with him. Delei has Salamar tucked in for the evening as well. I suspected that this journey would tax his strength. I did not expect how much."

"He may never fully recover from Khilbron's magic," pointed out Mhenlo.

"He has not," they turned as Queen Farina stepped into the room. "My son and I had a long conversation before he collapsed. Just so you know, Siuil, Devona, the entire palace is buzzing with rumors now that he has. I do think most of Rin knows he collapsed. Some of the rumors are far darker than that. Some claim conspiracy and says someone tried to kill him. Some claim that the air of the Shiverpeaks or Kryta has weakened him that the slightest shock may kill him. I do believe that some countering would be a good thing."

The three left, leaving Selena alone with Farina. "What happened?" asked Selena.

"He told me about dying in the Shiverpeaks, Khilbron and being animated, and of being resurrected. He did not tell me what it cost you. I think he was about to. However, I know plenty of what it has cost him," Farina sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed her son's hair out of his face. "He feels lost."

"Lost?" Selena walked over to them and asked. "Lost how?"

"Like part of him is missing, but he feels he can never find it again," answered Farina with a sigh. "Like too much of his soul is spreading thin and stretched. Granted, that may because he also is still recovering from the physical aspects of it all. He did not want me to tell you because I think he was trying to protect you from the knowledge."

"I know he feels lost like that," Selena sighed as she sat down in one of the plush chairs. "I do as well because I know why he does… and why I do as well. He knows. Farina, he was losing his soul. I am not sure if you are familiar with what the catacombs of Ashford held far beneath?"

"The undead. The angered undead that have lost—oh good heavens no!" Farina gasped. "He was almost as they?"

Selena nodded sadly, "It took half of my soul to fill in what he lost, but I took half of what he had left to fill in the gaps made by that. In essence, our two souls were made one and then cut halfway down the middle to share between the two of us."

"The Soul Bond…" Farina closed her eyes. "The cost to bring him back. Oh, by the Rift. You are far stronger than either Adelburn or I gave credit to have gone through that with your mind intact. As is Rurik. You will both be the best leaders that Ascalon has ever seen, this much I can see. And I am glad because this generation will be hell on you."

Selena smiled as she looked out the window. "I know but I have Rurik. I could have never survived without him. I am surprised that we never met before. We were both the adventuring type. I had gone through the Academy a few years before the Searing and inducted into the Vanguard."

"I am surprised as well," admitted Farina. "At both not meeting him if in the Vanguard and also that you were at all. What happened to you that your mind was gone after the Searing?"

"I saw… too many of my fellow villagers die in the Searing. I was also gravely injured, perhaps hit in the head. I can't remember many details but those I can I wish I didn't," she answered. "I was training in the Catacombs with Necromancer Munne—"

"With a necromancer?"

Selena sighed, not sure how well the Queen would take knowing that the new Queen would be able to call armies of undead. Before the Searing the Necromancers were considered barely even human. Some weren't. "Yes… I am a Necromancer myself," explained Selena. "I follow Grenth, but, conversely I am also Monk and follow Dwayna. Perhaps I follow Dwayna more than I do Grenth, but it is very difficult to survive as a Necromancer without in the least a nod to the Lord of the Undead."

Farina's eyes were wide, "A Necromancer?"

"Yes…" Selena rolled her eyes and walked away. "But am I like any that you have seen, heard about or met?"

Farina eyes the small woman, noting the lack of scarring, the unbleached hair or even the lack of some strange hair color. Even in this her hair was so normal for any class. She was modest. She also looked far more alive than many of her counterparts who looked more like the undead they commanded than living beings. "No, you are not," admitted Farina, relaxing a bit. "But I cannot say how the rest of the Noble Houses will react—wait, you also said you were Monk?"

Then it connected, "You are _that_ one—the one Siuil could not find but Rurik swore he would. Oh my, how delightfully ironic. You were underneath our noses the entire time."

"Trust me—that's what Rurik said too."

* * *

A few days later and Rurik was up and around again. This time he felt better than he first had when arriving. As he walked through the halls of the palace he was aware of those who followed him with their eyes until he was out of their sight. The first few times they bowed as he went past. Eventually they stopped when they realized that his mind was not actually on his surroundings and that he was, in fact, brooding.

One woman stepped purposely in his way and he stopped short, a frown on his face as he looked up at the older woman. For a long time they simply stared at each other after she bowed slightly. Rurik could recognize a contest of the wills when he saw one and was determined not to let the older Mesmer get the best of him. Finally, knowing that he was not backing down, she said, "Forgive my intrusion into your thoughts, your Majesty."

"Forgiven only if you tell me why you stopped me," he said.

"My name is Lady Maria of Surmia," she inclined her head. "I received your message from my handmaiden. I was going to seek you out then heard that you," she paused as if searching for a word, "were under the weather suddenly. How do you fare this day?"

"Better," he answered.

"Ah, good, I had to ask you directly as I think my handmaiden may have made an error in passing along the message," Lady Maria continued. "If I may ask you, that is."

"Ask."

"I sent my handmaiden to you to speak of the possibility of you taking one of my nieces as your wife and future Queen," he was about to speak but she played as if she didn't see him as she walked over to the window. "But she tells me you already married and have a child?"

"I do."

"Now you see—what?" Maria turned to him in surprise. "Forgive me, but that's not possible. I have not heard of any _noble_ lady marrying, nor having any acceptable heir."

"Ah, and that is the crux of the matter," Rurik smiled, although it was not a warm smile. Too cold to be warm and he hoped that this would settle the matter. "I married a hero of Ascalon, not a Noble. As is my right and as a hero she is to be accepted as a Noble. She led our people to Kryta and dealt with, often personally, threats to them. In essence, that also made her a Noble when New Ascalon was recognized as a nation in its own right and she its Lady. So now will Lady Selena La Rune also become Queen Selena de Drascir. I fathered one son by her who is now two years old and is my heir. I am sorry, but you are too late to ask for your niece to be given to me in marriage."

Maria looked at him searchingly, "We shall see, your Majesty, we shall see. You can bet that I will bring this matter up in court. I will see that this 'Lady' of yours is seen no more than an affair and this so-called marriage is annulled. Your bastard son will not rule as King after you. Those are our laws."

At this Rurik laughed, "No, Lady Maria. In that you are wrong. And if you disrespect my wife I will make sure that your own nobility is stripped from you. You dare give your King ultimatums? Here is one of my own. I am now King, which means my word, and whim, is law. If say I wish for Lady Selena to be my Queen and my son to be King that is my choice, not yours."

"Is that so?" Maria stepped closer to him; the expression in her eyes was as cold as ice. "You are not King yet, Prince Rurik. I will see this matter closed to my satisfaction."

Rurik sighed as she stalked off and another Noble, this one he recognized as from Ascalon City, came up to him, "You handled that shrew as bold as your father did. She has been harrying both King Adelburn and Queen Farina about this for years. When your father decided that Lady Althea would be your wife, Lady Maria was livid. And now she is has been skunked again out of being a Duchess. You realize that's all she's after, eh?"

"Thank you Lord Allen," Rurik said. "Your support is appreciated."

He looked once at where Maria stalked off to, then Allen grabbed his arm, "I'd be careful and put some extra guard on your wife and son, if I were you. Not saying she'd commit murder but I wouldn't put it past her either."

* * *

Again Rurik slammed the door to their suite. This time, though he didn't collapse and as Delei had taken Salamar to see Queen Farina, it was only he and Selena. Rurik laid down his circlet and ran to his wife, nibbling on her ear again then he moved down to her neck as she helplessly writhed in his grasp. "What brought this on…?" she asked as he pushed her back to the balcony. "Rurik… no… the entire city of Rin will see us…"

He came up for air long enough to swing her around so that anyone looking could see him and the one he embraced, "Let them all see."

With that he swooped down to seize her lips in a hard kiss. He was barely aware of all the traffic and the activity in the streets below stop suddenly. He pulled her close, almost as if trying to bury her inside of him, nearly crushing the breath from out of her. Finally, tired of mere kissing, Rurik swept her up in his arms and carried her inside. Just inside her he let her down again, and hurriedly undid the laces to the bodice of her gown. "Rurik, it's in the middle of the afternoon!" she protested.

"I need you," he whispered. "You can sense this… I've just been reminded of how delicate our situation is here and I need to know that I will not lose you to the politics. I need the simplicity of us."

Selena could sense the anger, although not directed at her, and the lost feeling again. He needed her more emotionally than anything else. She pushed him away and let the corset drop from her waist, and then the dress fell down from her shoulders. He smiled, "You're wearing that Bonelace armor from the Granite Citadel…"

"I wanted to be prepared just in case of attack when on the road," she answered. "I am the last line of defense for you and Salamar."

He ran a hand down the lace on her back and pulled her close again, this time letting her undo the laces that held it together on her own. When the top came loose he grabbed it and let it fall to the side where her gown lay. Rurik looked her up and down, taking her wrists in his hands. "You are scarred… you never were before."

She closed her eyes, whispering, "I am Blood Necromancer. It requires… certain sacrifices."

"You cut yourself for your magic?" he asked, and then noted the scarring was old, almost healed. "But this is old."

"I have not cast my Blood Spells in a long time. I haven't needed to," she admitted. "Not since we returned from Hell's Precipice."

He smiled, and then ran a hand up her bare stomach, "And what an amazing gift you have given me, Selena."

His hands rose higher to her bare chest. Rurik ran his hands over her breasts that were still slightly swollen from childbearing and nursing. She swatted his hands away but he said, "No, let me see. You are still as beautiful as before, you know. Perhaps more. Never be ashamed in front of me—you gave me life again, you gave me a son." He held her breasts in his hands. "These are badges of glory, as are the stretch marks on your belly."

She sighed heavily, but he bent down to kiss her slowly, then he moved to her neck and she caught her breath as he massaged her breasts working her nipples into hardened peaks. "Rurik…" she murmured. "Love you…"

"And I you," he whispered as he pushed her to the bed, undoing the laces to her skirt as he picked her up again to allow the Bloodstained Boots fall to the ground.

Finally she lay nude on the bed below him, and he bent over her as she pushed his shirt off his back. "Selena… make me whole," he whispered.

"I will try."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Rurik woke some time later and wrapped the blanket at the foot of his bed around himself to ward off the chill as he closed the balcony doors with a sigh. Quite frankly he could not believe himself at how often he found himself in his wife's arms. It was as if something pulled them together. He turned to watch her sleep as he leaned against the doorframe. _Well, this is a refreshing change from the past few weeks_, he mused. _I'm watching her sleep instead of the other way around._

And he was well aware of the fact that she would watch over him. Sometimes when she thought he was asleep he'd just lay there, feeling better just knowing that she was sitting in the room by the sound of pages flipping in a book.

Rurik sighed again before finally shrugged the blanket off to dress himself. With one last glance at his wife he left the suite to walk down to the war room where he knew Duke Barradin would be. He needed time to be alone but he could not afford it if he was to rebuild Ascalon. He entered the war room and Barradin looked up, mildly surprised, from the table, which showed a miniature lay of the land of Ascalon. Before the war had ended it had been used to plan attacks against the Charr and track their movement. Artisans had been called in to make it as accurate in each detail as well as make the trees of the forests and forces of both sides capable of being moved around as Adelburn had saw fit. This map was old and showed Ascalon as it had been when the Searing struck.

Rurik looked down with a frown as Barradin explained, "We brought it back in to compare to the new map," he pointed to the second one made, one that showed the post-Searing Ascalon from when Rurik had been leading the Vanguard, "and to find where the cities were."

On the new map were some of the forests from the old, and new stained glass had been made to show where the tar had given way to water. Green paint-washes marked where the land was recovering. It was still an ugly map, but it was far better than the mid-Searing map. Rurik looked it over, "And?"

"Well, we've managed to put these flags on where the old cities of Surmia, Drascir, and Nolani were," explained Barradin. "We've also put these simpler flags where the small towns, such as Ashford, were."

"So many towns burned to the ground," mused Rurik. "I see the priority appears to be those south of the wall."

"Indeed, my prin… er… my king," Barradin corrected himself, and then looked at Rurik who had suddenly gone extremely quiet. "Rurik? Are you feeling all right?"

Rurik looked up suddenly, the expression on his face carefully blank although the expression in his eyes was haunted. Barradin swallowed, uncharacteristically nervous suddenly, at the deep pain in those eyes. Rurik was a man that had not recovered from what had happened after the Frost Gate. Barradin didn't even want to guess at what had happened. He was quite frankly happy in the knowledge that Rurik had been returned from the Ember Isles. Rurik blinked and then focused on Barradin suddenly, "I'm sorry, old friend. I was… thinking…"

"Brooding is more like it," snorted Barradin.

"Indeed I was," Rurik sighed as he looked over the changes in the map. "But at least the damage to Ascalon is receding. There is still much work to be done, however."

"Quite," agreed Barradin.

They both started in surprise at the crash in the halls. Looking at each other, they frowned and it was Barradin who drew his sword and Rurik a short moment later. Barradin ran into the hall first and Rurik followed him out, sword held at the ready. Outside was chaos as servants and guards ran around almost in confusion. The guards were taking swift charge of things and soon there was order among the confusion as the civilians were herded into safe areas while the army and guards began to sweep the grounds for the threat within the palace walls. Rurik boomed, "What goes on here?"

"Your Majesty, you should take cover," called Warmaster Riga as he ran down the hall to meet them, and he took Rurik's left arm in hand. "This way your majesty…"

"Now wait just one minute here!" protested Rurik as he shook his arm out of Riga's grip. "Have you forgotten who I am, Riga? I may be King shortly, but I am still the same Rurik that everyone remembers. Now, what is going on and where is the threat so that I can meet it on my own terms?"

Riga sighed, "Warmaster Grast said you'd be that way. Very well, your Majesty. Someone, or something, has made it past the perimeter guards. A few were found slain on the walls, and somehow they have also eluded our search—"

Rurik blinked, and then he went pale as he breathed, "Selena… Salamar… Gods no!"

With that Riga and Barradin were left to blink over the sudden departure of Rurik as the man ran towards his suites that he shared with his wife and son. Seeing their King run full tilt as fast as he could through the halls—almost sliding around corners, and then taking stairs two at a time—made the guards jump out of the way of him, and then follow him as Riga and Barradin both were. They came to a stop when they finally caught up with Rurik as he stared into the broken doors of his suites, the sound of a child wailing in fright loud and clear from within. With a dark and somber expression on his face Rurik then walked into the room, his sword at the ready.

Barradin followed, and could see a shadow move almost before he saw the person step out of it with twin daggers raised to stab deeply into Rurik's unarmored back. Barradin took a breath, but thankfully, Rurik's battle honed instincts had never dulled over the years as the man spun, sank to one knee as the blades came down, but as he had moved, this threw the woman's strike off balance. She needed time to recover but as Rurik already had his sword drawn time was something she never had as Rurik's upswing and slash cut her stomach open. She cried out as she dropped her daggers and fell to the floor, clutching at her belly in a vain attempt to hold in her insides as the blood splattered over Rurik's clean white tunic and the marble floor.

Standing up, his sword at guard, Rurik moved around the room to make sure no other assassins were waiting for his guard to be lowered to strike. Barradin, Riga and a few of the other guards did the same. Barradin nodded as Rurik lowered his sword, then dropped it to jump onto the bed and uncover the lump within.

The only living soul in his bed was his two-year old son, Prince Salamar, whom clutched at his father in terror. Not wanting to stain his son with the would-be assassin's blood, Rurik pulled off the blankets and sheets to wrap the boy in as he took him out of the room to also immediately take him away from the death and carnage. With a sigh, Rurik realized that certain events had begun to repeat themselves.

Selena was missing.

* * *

The word spread all through Rin about the missing Queen within mere days. Once their suite had been cleaned thoroughly after a few investigators had combed through it to make sure that when Rurik slew the assassin that absolutely no clues were left unfound. One investigator walked into the war room with trepidation with a package in his hand. Rurik looked up and beckoned the young man forward, "I have this feeling that you bring news about your investigation."

"I do, your Majesty," the young man bowed, then when he stood, he presented the package.

Rurik unwrapped it to find a Charr carving as he looked up in confusion, "This doesn't make any sense!"

"I believe it does, your Majesty," the investigator interjected. "Please forgive my rudeness, but I believe that another party is trying to have the blame of her royal Majesty's kidnapping on the Charr. In so doing, it would cause us to retaliate and provoke the Charr. This would lead us back into a war and weaken us further now that we have begun to recover. The real question is who knows enough about Ascalon history to know to do such a thing. Not only that, who knows enough of us to know where to find your young Queen and your son, the Prince."

The lords within blinked in surprise as Rurik frowned even deeper. "Who indeed? And who would have the most to gain if the Queen disappeared?"

"Indeed, my King," answered the investigator. "For your son still lives…"

"Queen Selena still lives," Rurik corrected.

"Hope is a wonderful thing, your Majesty, but in situations like these, I must prepare you for the worst…"

"She is still alive. I know it," Rurik sighed as he set down the Charr carving. "I would know if she was not. And so would all of you."

Darrin looked over at Barradin and Grast and shook his head. Barradin sighed. Clearly Lord Darrin felt that the new King was grasping at straws while history repeated itself. One lord said quietly, but since the room was silent, his voice carried, "I am sure Lady Althea and Queen Selena will get along in the Rift swimmingly. The Gods care for them until we meet them again."

Rurik turned to that Lord and glared, "You don't know that she is dead, yet, Lord Gabin."

"The chances are, given the way the assassin tried to kill you, is that she is dead already, your Majesty, I am sorry for your loss but—" Gabin was cut off by Rurik.

"Everyone out. Now. Except you Gabin, and Duke Barradin and Warmaster Grast, would you kindly remain behind as well?" he saw a few curious looks, as well as pitying ones on Gabin… and just as many on him as well. Once the door closed, he continued, "Perhaps you should know of how I know she is alive still. I am still alive."

"I don't follow," began Gabin but Rurik held up his hand.

"You will. I know that you have at least a passing knowledge of the Monk tradition?" asked Rurik while looking over at Gabin.

"I do, it's my secondary," Gabin looked around at the table but both Grast and Barradin shrugged helplessy.

Neither of them knew. Rurik had a sinking feeling that Selena had been far too careful with whom exactly learned of the Soulbond and the three who should have known the truth did not. "Warmaster, I don't expect you to know this either, given your secondary," Rurik pointed out. "I did not, but I know Duke Barradin will and he will help me explain the gaps I don't understand myself."

Barradin and Gabin were both Monk secondaries while the unfortunate Grast was a Ranger secondary. While Rurik himself was Elementalist secondary, having it explained to him was his only advantage. "I have been Soul Bonded to Queen Selena. We are one soul in the eyes of the Gods. If one dies, so does the other. So, I do know very intimately that she still lives for I am still here with you."

"Gods… and the Rift below," swore Barradin colorfully. "Why in the Underworld did she feel that was necessary?"

"I don't exactly understand what a Soul Bond is or is not," admitted Rurik. "But I do know that the situation had been grave for it to be necessary. Extremely grave, although I would have rather remained dead—"

"Dead?" asked Gabin. "Wait… I heard you were a prisoner of war."

"I was not. In fact, I had been killed in the Shiverpeaks and spent a good couple of months rotting in the open before I had been found. By all rights, I should not have been able to be brought back," Rurik stared down at his fingers. "I remember bits and pieces but not much else. I am guessing the Gods do not want us to know what the Rift is like until we get there… I remember seeing Althea… I think…"

Gabin put one hand to his mouth, "But months? You were missing for _years_…"

"I was," Rurik paused and looked up, the haunted expression on his face again. "I have not told anyone this but for my mother and Selena. No one else would have understood nor needed to know. The truth of the matter is that Selena was not the first person to find me, nor bring me back… in a fashion. If she had, she may have not needed the Soul Bond. Maybe just a really experienced Monk."

"I don't follow," said Grast. "And I don't like where this is leading either."

Rurik smiled grimly, "You won't. Vizier Khilbron found me first, but instead of Resurrecting me—he animated me instead as an intelligent lich. I was bound, as all undead are, to my creator as little more than a slave to his whim. My soul began to degrade and had I not been destroyed as an undead by Siuil La Rune, I would have been nothing more than the mindless and soulless undead that used to haunt the Catacombs of Ashford."

For a long moment the three other men were silent in horror. "Sweet Gods above…" muttered Barradin as he ran a hand over his face. "So that's why when the Portal opened from the Fire Ring Islands they brought you with them. But wait a minute, that means that the undead of Orr that were invading Kryta were…"

"The same. I was not with them in Kryta until the very end, but when I was I was as a macabre general of sorts," answered Rurik grimly. "I was not the Lich Lord, but I was his second in command. Whether I wanted to be or not."

Rurik sighed deeply, "When these heroes tracked us down in Hell's Precipace, they had figured out a way to both destroy Khilbron once and for all, but also to seal the Door of Komalie again. Unfortunately, Khilbron figured it out also just before they arrived and to demoralize them and give himself time to raise his own defenses he sent me out to face them." He closed his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. "I still can't remember this. I… was told by Cynn who was there and saw me fall again. She was going to stay with Selena, but Selena would not let her and Cynn followed Siuil and Arya who faced the Lich Lord, Khilbron. When they defeated Khilbron, Cynn tells me that when the volcano started to erupt everything went silent and a beam of light swallowed the entrance area. I think it was at that very moment Selena used the spell that Glint gave her, True Resurrection. I remember a searing heat and pain. I barely remember waking up to Selena's insistence and having to cast a Portal to Droknar's Forge. I don't remember much past that. I don't even remember much of the time I spent animated. I think the Gods may have blanked that… or my own mind did to protect itself."

"Exhaustion," Grast answered. "Also may have played a part. Never could figure out when they brought you out of that portal why you didn't wake up for a better part of a month. That explains it."

"But the Soul Bond?" asked Lord Gabin.

"Part of the cost of True Resurrection," answered Duke Barradin. "Among a few other things. For her to cast that to bring you back means that she loved you too much to live alone and without you. It also means that she does not see herself being able to live without you should you leave this world for the next before she does."

"I know," Rurik rubbed his face. "That only makes it feel worse. Granted, I feel the same but my health, thanks to the stresses on my body in the past few years, will never be the same as it was before the Frost Gate. I have likely cut her natural life span down by a few _decades_, let alone years."

The three other men regarded their King for a few minutes, and finally Lord Gabin broke the silence with a simple and curt, "Well, she's still alive which means that we must somehow rescue her. It is our duty. I will mobilize my troops to track down the kidnappers immediately, my King. With your leave."

Rurik, with a dismissive wave of his hand, then turned to Duke Barradin once Lord Gabin left the room. "What do you think, old friend?"

"He doesn't believe you," answered Grast instead. "Then again, I'm not entirely sure if I believe you either. However, because you are King he has to give you the benefit of the doubt as I do."

Rurik looked up at Grast and shook his head, "I suspected as much."

Barradin hadn't moved. "I do."

They both looked at Barradin in surprise, and Grast asked, "Eh?"

"I believe that she did indeed cast True Resurrection and did indeed give half her soul to bring you back to us," Barradin sighed. "It explains so much that was left unexplained by her. I knew she was hiding something… even Adelburn suspected it and he voiced such to me when you all reappeared in Droknar's Forge. Something did not add up. He was glad to see that you all had survived the Fire Ring but he didn't think that her curt explanation had revealed everything. However, due to the fact that she had bore you a son and that you came back alive he had to respect her far more than he had to before in Ascalon when she was your mere ward. He dared not question her or have her interrogated as he might have done had you not married her. But he knew something had been left unsaid. Now I know what—and he should have been told. I should have been told far earlier. I do not know her reasons for keeping her silence but it may well cost her, and you, now, my King."

Rurik shook his head, "I don't agree. If it became too widely known then she would be targeted instead of me for assassination. Why aim for me when killing the Queen kills the King as well?"

"There is that," agreed Grast. "But it would have been nice to know so that we would have kept closer tabs on her. But… and excuse me for saying so… I had been going through the logs of the Ascalon Academy and Lady Selena La Rune was a member of the Vanguard for years before the Searing. There is little we could have done to keep her within the palace walls if she felt her duty lay outside them. After all, she was trained by us—and you—to do no less."

"In a way, that should be your solace," mused Barradin. "Your Majesty, I have no doubt the reason you are both alive is because perhaps her captors have stolen far more than they bargained for. I have no doubt that she has already escaped and is coming back here with more information than we could have gleaned by interrogating that damned assassin."

"Perhaps she is also leading them to believe that she is the typical noble woman in order to lure them into complacency to spy upon them," Grast added.

Rurik frowned and they were silent for a moment. He looked out the window, closing his eyes for a moment. Opening them again he answered them, "All of that is mere speculation. Selena, if it is within her power, might be doing as you say. And I see what you are trying to do." He sighed. "However, it's not working. This is as bad as when Althea went missing on me. Althea was also able to take care of herself and had far more than Selena in defenses… she had a few of our own men to guard her but that came to naught. Selena was stolen. And I fear for her."

Barradin's expression grew dark as he stood and loomed over his new King, taking the younger man by the shoulders and standing him up to make him look out the window. Grast left quickly, not liking where Barradin was likely to tread. "Get up man!" shouted Barradin. "Snap out of it, damn it."

Rurik looked him in the eyes. "What right have you to tell me—!"

"What right?" Barradin fumed. "Your father was my best friend, and so are you. He may not be here to smack sense into his wayward son, but by the Gods, I am. And, in case you have forgotten, my King, my great-grandfather and your father's great-grandfather shared the same mother, if different fathers. My line is the elder, yours is not. Remember how your father became King and tread lightly, Rurik. If I wanted to push things it could very well be me wearing that crown and not you! Come to think of it, I was supposed to be King, not your father. Remember well why you were betrothed to my daughter in the first place!"

For a long moment they simply glared at each other, then Barradin's expression softened, "I love you as any man would love their son. In many ways, you are more my son than even Adelburn's. Who taught you to fight?"

"You did," murmured Rurik.

"That's right, and who fostered you each and every school year while your father campaigned in Kryta during the Guild Wars?"

"You did."

"And who—"

"All right already!" Rurik threw his hands up in the air, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Barradin…" Rurik looked back out the window, leaning on the sill. "Too much change. I used to think that change was a good thing but more the years march on, the more I see my father's point. Gods—I must be getting old to admit that."

"Not really," Barradin pointed out, a hand on Rurik's shoulder. "It just means…"

Rurik looked at him obliquely, "I'm getting old. Come on, old friend. Admit it. That's exactly what you were going to say."

Barradin shrugged.

* * *

A rattle in the boards of the cart woke her as her head connected with the front of the cart. She cracked open one eyelid, and realized that her arms were tied painfully behind her and she was also gagged. _Likely to prevent me from spell casting_, she knew.

She looked around, trying to get her bearings. With surprise she noted that, given the same wood above her—that she could see by rolling herself on the side from off her stomach like she had been—she was in a false bottom cart or wagon. She rolled back onto her stomach and leaned her forehead on the cart floor with a silent groan. _Now what? Now if anyone looks in all they'll see is what they want any guards to see_, Selena concentrated. Not all her magic required speaking or the ability to move. As her hearing attuned to the noises around her, she began to hear voices outside, measured boot steps… and an unfamiliar language.

* * *

However, as unfamiliar as the language was to their captive, the two Kurzicks that had been contracted to take alive the Queen of Ascalon could speak the language of Cantha as all those born to Cantha could. The younger turned to the elder, "But she is very powerful in Ascalon, fallen nation or not… and you seen their defenses. There is no way a fallen nation would have so much in so little time."

"You doubt my wisdom in taking this contract, Izumo?" asked the elder one. "You saw as well as I the massive sea turtle not far from Lion's Arch. You know what that means—our enemy that we thought we left behind in Cantha, the Luxons, are here as well. If we are to repell them we must make our money where we can. And these White Mantle pay well. Princess or not, she has angered them enough to have a price put upon her head."

"I do not question the wisdom in taking of contracts to pay for what we need," Izumo answered. "I question the wisdom in taking a contract that could very well lead to having an even larger contract upon our heads! And that of all Kurzicks if we were unsuccessful in leading the Ascalons to believe the Charr were responsible as they wanted us to. Ping did not meet us as the rendevous point, and we waited far longer than we should have. What if she was caught while trying to escape Rin?"

"Ping would not allow herself to be caught," the elder Kurzick frowned, although he too worried at the fact that Ping had failed to meet them when she had supposed to.

In the ten years he had worked with her, she had never missed a meeting. Never failed to show up. It was odd, and even though she would know of the return trip and what general route he and Izumo would be taking, she still had not shown up. It was troublesome. The Ascalons were famous in that they all were bred for war but for very, very few. And even they were considered support. Ascalon as a nation had been fighting with the Charr for generations and so their fighting prowess was as famous as the Luxon and Kurzick.

Finally they came upon the last checkpoint between Ascalon and the Shiverpeaks. Soon they would be on the river to the sea in between the stark opposites of the Crystal Desert—where a dragon was rumored to maraud its searing heat—and the Shiverpeaks—the domain of the Deldrimor Dwarves. This last set of Ascalon guards stood on watch outside the small outpost that was shared with the dwarves and man. One guard held up a hand and Izumo brought the horses to a halt to allow the man to inspect the cart. It was the first time anyone had actually questioned them, and the elder Kurzick by the name of Ise asked, "Greetings, men of Ascalon."

"Greetings, men of the Kurzicks…" the guard said as he looked up at Ise. "Leaving Ascalon so soon?"

"I am pleasantly surprised to find that it is recovering," Ise mused, scratching his chin. "I will have to tell the others of my clan that chose to come to Tyria to escape the wars on Cantha."

"Indeed?" asked the other guard. "You see anyone else of your clan?"

"No, why?" asked Ise.

"Because King Rurik killed a Kurzick assassin in Rin after she tried to kill him in his own bed chambers. The Queen, unfortunately, was not so lucky…" the guard drawled. "Was there anyone else in your party?"

"No…" answered Ise, damping down the rage that Ping had been killed in Rin.

He caught the subtle, but yet mildly panicked glare from Izumo. Like Ise, he had known and fought beside the deadly Ping for years. No one had ever thought she'd ever be killed in battle. She was simply too fast and too skilled. But to learn that she had fallen to only the King himself was an honor. Rurik's prowess in battle was near legendary. It was unfortunate, even tragic, that Ping had died, but her own legend would live on once Ise and Izumo returned to the camp in Kryta.

* * *

Selena's eyes opened wide in surprise as she felt a thrill at knowing both who her captors were and that Rurik had taken one of them down before they could fully escape. It meant that what was left of the Vanguard and possibly her old guild would soon be on the hunt for her and would know exactly who to look for.

She prayed that they would find her in time. She had heard clearly the words White Mantle in these two's conversation. If they intended to give her to the White Mantle it would not matter how quickly all of Ascalon searched for her—Salamar would shortly be King and perhaps Barradin would be regent because both her and Rurik would die.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Duke Barradin walked through the palace halls, a frown creasing his face. It had been a mere week since Queen Selena's disappearance and he knew that if he failed to find her nothing would hold back Rurik's fury upon the Canthans. Gatanx scoured the North, just in case the Kurzicks had decided to head North. Arya Bladedancer had been called, but so far she had not answered and this was worrisome to Barradin.

Never before had Lady Arya not answered Rurik or Selena when they had called for help. And even more worrying was the report of the fall of the Keepers of the Shadow Empire Guild. Barradin was now heading to King Rurik to report this new development and as he was about to walk around the last corner, he caught part of a conversation.

"So she is gone?" asked the familiar voice, and Barradin recognized the cultured voice to be Lady Maria of Surmia.

"Yes, Maria, she is missing," and that had to be Lord Darrin of Ranik. "Rumor has it that she is dead, so even if you wished to contest her marriage to him, you may not have to. However, you can still contest it to dislodge Prince Salamar, but, if you don't want to you can still mold the boy and have your niece marry and have as Queen. I would suggest the latter after allowing a proper length of time to pass for Rurik to grieve. 'tis tragic, though, you must admit."

"How so?" asked Lady Maria.

"Well, Rurik was fond of Lady Althea, and while one could not say it was a passionate love affair, it was a lovely matching. He grew close to her as a friend, and perhaps would have had better had they married, but when she died, I guess you could say he tried to commit a very slow, but equally as deadly, sort of suicide to join her," Lord Darrin chuckled darkly. "And now his second love is gone, likely dead. This time he had a good couple of years of marriage and a son to show for it and his young and pretty wife is killed by another enemy of the state. Being Queen is dangerous, perhaps, then…"

Lady Maria snorted in a derisive but yet still ladylike fashion. "One could also think of a darker motive if one were like me, Darrin," she retorted sharply.

"I would watch well what you say," Darrin's voice dropped dangerously, and Barradin had to stifle his own bark of laughter. Lord Darrin was an insufferable ass at times but traitor he was not, not even in thought. "King Rurik loved both Althea and Selena and would not have wished ill on either, on pain of his own death, and so would not be even indirectly responsible for either of their deaths. It is simply tragedy that they both died so young when they had so much potential. I had great respect for both. Lady Althea was a true lady and would have been a wonderful Queen. The fact that she never got to see what she was capable of in such a position of power is tragic. Of what I saw, Queen Selena was far stronger than any one gave her credit and so her loss is sad, she left a handsome son behind. And that is the tragedy. The poor boy won't remember his mother as well as he should and a boy needs a mother to know the softer things in life."

"You are a poetic man, Lord Darrin," Lady Maria's tone had softened slightly. "And you are right. The boy does need a softer influence, if only to curb the hot headedness that runs in the de Drascir family line."

"The La Runes aren't much better," snorted Lord Darrin. "I fought beside Salamar's grandfather. Trust me on that!"

Barradin finally decided to end this conversation as he blithely continued his path around the corner. Feigning surprise, he greeted them, "Lady Maria, Lord Darrin. Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Duke Barradin," Maria bowed slightly. "It is a beautiful day. Lord Darrin and I were discussing the tragedy that has befallen our young Queen. It's sad, isn't it? She was barely even past her quarter century mark, as I understand."

"Actually, she is thirty this fall," corrected Barradin. "She only appears so young because she is so tiny."

"Indeed?" Lord Darrin mused. "Then not so young. But—seven years younger than Rurik?"

"Yes, she is," Barradin smiled slightly. "Six and a half, actually. Rurik was born in the winter, Selena in the fall, remember? Anyway, I was on my way to meet with the King. Good day to both of you."

With that Barradin continued on by while he could feel their gazes on his back.

* * *

Rurik walked in the courtyard and watched his son as he played in the gardens. With a half smile, he allowed himself to enjoy the momentary peace at this simple act. Barradin walked from the shadows of the halls within the Palace and judging by the expression on the man's face he didn't bring good news either. With a nod to Delei, Rurik walked over to Duke Barradin. "What is it?" asked Rurik.

"Lady Arya has not answered us—in person or otherwise. No one has heard from her in over eight months," answered Barradin as he fell into step with his King, noticing that Rurik's pace was still slow compared to a few years before.

"There's more."

"Yes, my King, there is," Barradin stopped, drew a breath, then continued. "Keepers of the Shadow Empire have fallen. A Charr messenger brought the news from Gatanx who looked for the Guild Hall and found a different Guild within, one not friendly to KSE and very neutral to Ascalon. There was no aid there."

Rurik stopped, his brows creasing. "It can't be. Arya Bladedancer is…" he turned to Barradin, disbelief on his face. "She would have not fallen to another Guild. Hers was a Guild of strength and honor…"

"Nonetheless, KSE is no more," answered Barradin. "Some of the old members of KSE are beginning to filter in to other cities, some in the Shiverpeaks, some here in Ascalon, some as far as Kryta. Most are seeking refuge in New Ascalon due to the ease of defense. But I have a letter from Akruan Soulblesser;" Barradin cleared his throat. "My King and liege, King Rurik of all of Ascalon, I send my greetings and regret that I cannot be there in person to deliver this message. I hope this letter finds you well. I have heard about Queen Selena and will endeavor to personally find the other La Runes that were in our scattered guild. I do not know what has happened to Arya, but when I find out I will be sure to tell her that you need her now more than ever. In respect, Akruan Soulblesser."

Rurik lifted a brow, "And why could he not be here?"

"In whatever battle brought Keepers low, he was gravely injured and is recovering in Grooble's Gulch. It was as far as he could get before collapsing," Barradin explained. "The Deldrimor care for him now and brought him back from the edge of death."

For a long moment, Rurik stood there, fingers bracing the bridge of his nose as he thought about how grave the situation was abruptly turning. He could afford to stretch his own defenses of his nation too thin as the ranks of the Ascalon Army were thin as it was. The Charr were at best a shaky alliance and the Deldrimor had problems of their own as, even though the Stone Summit were leaderless without Dagnar Stonepate, they were still a threat and kept the Deldrimor on constant alert.

At that moment a guard walked in and saluted to Rurik and then bowed, "Your Majesty, your Grace, there is an ambassador that requests entrance to Rin and audience with his Majesty."

Rurik blinked, "Now what?"

"Who is this Ambassador?" asked Barradin.

"Seaguard Berial from the Luxon Faction," answered the guard.

Rurik waited until the guard disappeared from view before he let his head drop, eyes closed. Barradin grabbed his shoulder thinking that the younger man was about to collapse again, but Rurik waved him off as he walked over to a bench and sat heavily on it. "I'm fine," his voice was pitched low, barely above a whisper but still full in voice.

Rurik sat very still for a moment, almost as if he was fading mentally and collapsing from the inside out. The expression on his face was… entirely too expressionless and reminded Barradin of a man he had seen in Sardelac. He had been through so much shock from the Searing that he had simply faded mentally from the world. So much like Selena had been when she had been called Rosa. But Rurik looked up, the haunted look in his eyes again.

"Would you like me to meet the Ambassador and tell him you have matters of State?" asked Barradin. "You look like you need rest and Selena would be angry with us if I allowed you to push yourself past the point of collapse again."

"I am fine, truly I am," Rurik forced a smile, but it didn't quite convince Barradin. "I will meet with the Ambassador and then I think I will retire for a short sleep."

"Swear on it?"

Rurik blinked, but sighed and nodded, "Of course I do."

Barradin looked back at him once as he walked back into the Palace. Rurik, thinking that he was not being observed, closed his eyes again, a hand going to his face as he ran a hand down it. His thumb rubbed at an eye, and then the careful, cool, King was back and Rurik was push aside for the meeting with the Luxon Ambassador.

With a sad smile, Barradin whispered, "Still our Rurik no matter what…"

* * *

Hours later, Barradin walked quietly to the hall outside the royal suites where Rurik lived with his wife and son. Entering into the foyer of the private entrance, the guards stood straight. In this common area, Adelburn's Queen walked out and nodded once to Barradin, who bowed to the woman. "My Lady Queen Farina, elder of Ascalon," he greeted. "How fare you this day?"

"I would be better knowing that the Queen of Ascalon was safe at home," she answered with a sigh.

"Did Rurik actually lie down for a short nap like he said he was going to?" asked Barradin, concerned.

"He did," she smiled. "He didn't have much choice. After the meeting with that Luxon Ambassador he didn't really have enough energy to consider doing anything else. He was almost asleep on the throne. I think he was sleepwalking when he got back here. Salamar slept beside him for a while on the bed. It seemed to make the both of them sleep better, I think. Although Salamar is playing in his room now. And before you ask, yes, Rurik is still sleeping. I don't think he'll awaken before morning. Today was a full day for him."

Barradin touched the woman's shoulder, "How are you holding up with all of this?"

She smiled as she laid a hand on the one that was one her shoulder. "I am holding, but I see my son who is now falling apart at the seams again as history repeats itself. I have a grandson that may grow up never knowing his parents and King far sooner than he ought—and Ascalon will fall on to a Regency instead of a Kingdom."

"You don't think that he's—do you?" Barradin felt a thin stab of fear settle into his heart.

It had been so long since a Soul Bond had been performed that no one knew how long it would take for the other to die if one died in the pairing. Mhenlo had told him that if Selena died, Rurik would perhaps as long as a few scant months to live before he weakened and died depending on how hard Rurik fought the icy fingers of Grenth. Weeks if he didn't fight at all. Now that Farina had pointed it out, Rurik had seemed to slide back into the shape that he had been brought back in, and he was often pale and quiet.

Could it be that Queen Selena was already dead and Rurik was slipping away after her?


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

If one thing could be said of Rin was that news, _any_ news, traveled fast. Bad news traveled even swifter and although Barradin was sure that the Royal Guardsman knew better than to spread them, he eyed the same two that had been in the room mere days ago when he had spoken to Queen Farina about Rurik's health as he walked through the foyer and into the main hall of the royal family's private wing of the palace.

All of Rin was practically buzzing with the bantered back and forth on whether or not their current King was dying shortly after taking the throne. Mhenlo walked down the hall and smiled upon seeing Duke Barradin, "I have good news…"

"I certainly hope so," muttered Barradin.

"King Rurik is not dying," Mhenlo smiled. "He's just under the weather, so to speak."

"What? Again?" Barradin lifted his brows.

"Given the experiences he's had and the nature of the original injury that put him that way, this is to be expected," Mhenlo drew serious. "However, putting to rest the rumors that have flown all the way to Nolani and even to Ascalon City will be much more difficult than keeping his Royal Majesty in bed long enough to recover from this latest bout of illness."

Barradin sighed, "Don't I know it."

"Might I suggest something for when he is feeling better again?" asked Mhenlo.

With a nod, Barradin gave Mhenlo permission to voice his idea, "Well, your Grace, there are two problems with one common thread—Rurik. It would seem logical that if Rurik was to put his people's fears to rest, and his own, by holding some sort of festival to give the people reason to forget the latest rumor. A reason to celebrate… and there are many reasons to celebrate. He has become our new King, he has a son to carry on his name. Ascalon is larger with New Ascalon to the West, and let us not forget we will be having our first successful harvest since before the Searing this fall."

Mhenlo had a point. The more Barradin though about the more he liked it. "You're right. Since Rurik is too under the weather, I give you permission to organize this."

"Me, your Grace?" Mhenlo shook his head. "Oh, no! I am the last person you want to organize something like this but I do have a suggestion on who would be able to organize something like this…"

Barradin took a breath and released it in a long-suffering sigh, "Really? Who would that be?"

A woman cleared her throat from behind him as Mhenlo pointed, smiling again. Barradin turned as Arya Bladedancer bowed before him. "Your Grace, it is wonderful to find you in good health," she said.

"And you as well," Barradin admitted. "I must ask what happened?"

"Long story short the Guild was caught unaware by another and we were scattered. Many of us didn't make it, some I have been trying to find, others… well… the Gods receive them," she sighed, and Barradin gauged the younger woman.

Arya Bladedancer herself appeared all right, but there were signs to the experienced soldier that she had not escaped unscathed. "Have you seen Akruan?" he asked.

She sighed sadly, "No, I have not. I have not been able to find him. I had assumed he would head here but since no sign of him has been seen I suspect that he is with the Gods now."

"Actually, he is not," pointed out Mhenlo. "He sent us a letter telling us that he thought you might head to New Ascalon and so he was headed there to find you."

"Indeed?" she brightened immediately, then laughed. "Well, well, it seems our paths crossed completely. I trust he's doing well?"

"Well, yes and no," Mhenlo admitted. "He says he was gravely injured and will be in Grooble's Gulch and then heading to New Ascalon after he is well enough to travel himself."

"Oh," the tall woman pondered this for a moment. "Well, that certainly isn't good. And what is this I have been hearing since Grendich that King Rurik is dying?"

"Not true," answered Barradin. "Just under the weather. The stress and the fact that he has not recovered from his, ah, experience in Sorrow's Furnace yet."

"Will he ever?" asked Arya bluntly. "Where is he, anyway?"

"I am right here," answered a tired voice from a doorway beside them that no one had heard open, and they turned to find Rurik leaning nonchalantly against the door frame. "Greetings, Lady Arya Bladedancer. I was under the impression that you may have been dead, and so it gives my heart joy to see you still alive and well."

"As does seeing you, your Majesty," as Arya looked him up and down in concern.

Rurik was not at his best, although he had made an effort to make himself presentable, and she could see dark circles under his eyes and the too pale skin. He looked almost gaunt as if illness had sapped his appetite and ate him away from the inside out. It was little wonder that the rumor mill maintained that he was dying no matter how hard Duke Barradin and the others tried to stamp out said rumors. King Rurik looked as if he was. "I am sorry about Queen Selena," said Arya as she guided the slightly shorter Rurik back into his suite, Barradin behind her.

In the time after being thrown out of Ascalon by Adelburn, the then Prince Rurik had made friends with most of her Guild, including herself and Akruan. Few could dare tell Prince Rurik how they felt, or tell him that he was being stupid with himself. Arya had never held anything back and a mutual respect had grown although he still occaisionally cursed at her by calling her a 'mother hen'. He sat down heavily in a chair, gazing out the window. Arya took off her helm and set it down as she slid off the gloves and laid her cloak in the back of another chair. Barradin sat down in another as he thoroughly inspected his king with his eyes. Finally Rurik said, "I… keep dreaming her memories. And recently they have been ones of being trapped, of motion. It's confusing because it is almost as if I can remember bit and pieces of my time under Khilbron… and the more I remember the more I don't want to remember. I don't want to sleep, I don't want to dream. But if dreaming means I see where she is and am able to send that along I must…"

Arya looked over at Mhenlo who shrugged helplessly. "How long has it been since you had a full night of sleep?" asked Arya in concern. "You look as if you haven't slept in a week. The last time I saw you this exhausted was in the Shiverpeaks shortly before Frost Gate."

That only made the frown on Rurik's face deepen. "How so much goes back to then…" he mused.

Arya moved over the fireplace and started a fire and then brought a quilt over from the bed and threw it over his legs. "Arya, you're acting the Mother Hen again," pointed out Rurik, mildly annoyed, but also he sounded amused.

"It's what I do best," said Arya as she sat back down, moving her own things carefully to the floor. "I may as well tell you what you've missed…"

* * *

When the false bottom was finally opened and Selena was able to finally look upon the faces of her captors, she was actually rather surprised. Gently she was brought out and the elder man said, "I will take the gag off and untie you but if you make one move to cast upon us any of your magic I will have Izumo sedate you and you will spend the rest of this trip unconscious. Do we have an understanding?"

She nodded her agreement and he untied the gag, then untied her hands and allowed her let the circulation return to her hands by shaking them. "Why?" she asked.

Ise sighed, "We need the funds in order to crush our enemy which has followed us here."

"Ever think that maybe they want to escape the war by coming to Tyria too?" asked Selena, and she did not back down as Ise towered over her.

"No Luxon will ever be a friend of the Kurzicks!" he spat.

"I used to say that of Ascalon and the Charr and now I have one very good friend who is Charr, in fact, I owe him my life many times over. Never discount that peace is possible!" she retorted. "And don't tell me that it's been too long. The Charr and Ascalon fought a vicious war for generations. It was only recently that they decided to actually invade."

For a long moment Ise was quiet, then it was the younger one, Izumo, who said, "She'd get along with the Baron's daughter."

"Silence Izumo," mused Ise. "Let me explain one thing and one thing only, my Lady Queen of Ascalon. If we were to meet at any other time we may have been allies, but unfortunately in this gold and platinum had to take precedence. I am sorry, but I gave my word that I would fulfill my contract and so I shall."

She blinked in surprise at his grim honor, and she pointed out, "But is not filling this word when the reason behind it is not honorable make that word dishonorable?"

Ise sighed before he turned back to her, "In your culture, you may have time to debate the grey area but in mine we cannot afford that luxury. As I said, I am sorry we did not encounter the Ascalons before we did the White Mantle. Izumo, return her to her 'bed', it is time we left."

The other stood up and Selena backed up a step, "Wait a minute, you just brought me out of there. I need to freshen up, perhaps eat something… relieve myself too. That way I can rest or something while you travel. You can't just stick me back in there!"

Ise sighed, "We risk much, but as it would be less than human to at least give you something for the time in there, we shall allow you to refresh yourself. Very well, you have one hour. Izumo will be your guardian during that time."

"Thank you," she said, before she turned. "Given the honor you have at least shown, I will give you honor. I will not try to escape. Once before I allowed myself to be hostage in order to also be Ambassador. Do you accept?"

Ise thought for a moment, "What you ask is more than we bargained for, your Majesty. But, for this journey to our camp, yes. I accept your offer. But understand that it is for our journey to our camp in Northern Kryta only."

"Done," she agreed with a slight bow. "I will then take my temporary leave in order to refresh myself and will finish within the hour as promised."

She went behind a tree, and while Izumo allowed some distance for her privacy, she refreshed herself, and then, while under the pretense of freshening up she began to carve the very basic La Rune family crest into the wood, then, using a long finger nail to slice her palm she laid her bloodied hand on it, murmuring words to a spell. Burned into the wood was now not only the La Rune crest, but also that of Rurik's vanguard.

Murmuring a prayer, she healed the cut in her hand and then, while smoothing out her hair she walked back out from around the tree. While she had given her word of honor not to try to escape, she had not said anything of not giving those of Ascalon or Deldrimor a trail of breadcrumbs to follow.

Someone would be on this well used road between Ascalon and Deldrimor.

Someone would know what that meant and word would spread that she was still alive, and then someone would come for her.

All she needed to do was wait.

* * *

Arya looked over at Barradin after she finished her tale of how she had managed to escape back to Ascalon after KSE had fallen. Sometime during the tale, Rurik had fallen asleep in his chair and his head rested on the back of the padded chair. Gently lifting his legs to rest on a stool, Arya motioned for Barradin to follow her. "There," she whispered. "And no trace of a dream to disturb him. You can go back to your suites. I'll stick close to him."

A moment after Barradin and the royal guards had left the room, a shadow unattached itself from the wall. Arya turned to regard him as he looked down on the sleeping King, "This is the man you were speaking of?"

"Yeah, that's Rurik," she sighed as she smoothed his hair, which had been dark but was now almost entirely grey. "Now, you said you could read minds, right? Anyway you can track through his and get that information I was telling you about?"

"The king's mind is a strong one. His sheer stubbornness would present a block, and to bring it down could shatter his mind," the shadow said. "Why do you need to know this so badly?"

"Because he's the only one who ever seen the Isle of Janthir," she answered. "Only he knows the way there, and unfortunately, it is the only way to defeat the White Mantle once and for all. That isn't all. If you can read his mind, then perhaps you can use the Soul Bond between him and Selena to track her location."

"What you ask is dangerous to him. Are you willing to take that risk?"

Arya hesitated, looking down on Rurik's face. The lines of worry had smoothed but dark circles stood out against his pale face. "No, I'm not. But he might be. And a tired mind is easier to break into, is it not?"

The shadow disappeared inside of Rurik and the man spasmed in shock at the sudden intrusion into his very soul and mind. A moan escaped. Rurik opened his eyes and for a moment Arya saw the hurt and disappointment at the perceived betrayal in his hazel eyes. A moment later, his eyes rolled back as he gasped out, "What… have you… done?"

Arya backed into the wall. Fear was an emotion unfamiliar to her but if this worked he would understand.

She hoped.

* * *

Rurik felt himself slip into something deeper than sleep after Arya faded from sight. A grey mist surrounded him as he lay on the cold ground. At least, he thought it was the ground. "Where is this?" he wondered aloud.

"Ah… King Rurik of Ascalon… so you escaped me only to again be in my grasp," rasped a voice out of sight but above his head.

He quickly rolled over, his flaming dragon sword in hand and in a crouch. Khilbron, as he was known in life, stood there. Arya had betrayed him and the pain was real and in his heart.

"Amazing how the living has this nasty habit of believing in people when they should not, isn't it?" asked Khilbron.

Rurik held up his sword in defense as he regained his footing. "Leave me alone, Khilbron," Rurik hissed. "Get out of my head."

"But I have been here longer than that precious Soul Bond. Surely you have felt that, though, eh? Why else do you think you always hover on the brink of recovering and then fail to?" Khilbron laughed as the living man faded to be replaced by the hideous lich lord. "I still own you, remember that."

"I might have something to say about that."

Both turned in surprise as the Shadow unattached itself from the wall as it had done in the Rin palace to sink Rurik into the trance that Arya had seen him sink into. Rurik turned from the shadow to Khilbron and back again in confusion, "If he's not the Shadow…?"

"He is not," answered the shadow. "He is as he said, he's been feeding off of your life force and soul, slowing draining it away. What has kept you alive so far is the fact that your wife gave you the link to hers through the Soul Bond. I'd had no idea, Rurik, and I am as surprised at this as you. I wanted to use the Soul Bond to track down Selena to tell Arya where to find her. But this… thing… I found instead and he blocks the way. If you help me I can free you once and for all of him."

"Ha! As if that were possible," Khilbron chided.

Rurik struck at that moment, and the Shadow aided him and the Fiery Dragon sword went from a red fire to a white fire that was too bright to look at directly.

* * *

Arya held Rurik down in the chair, trying to keep him from falling out of it at each spasm as he rocked and thrashed in the convulsion that had came on him suddenly. If anything, he looked even closer to death and grey cast to his skin alarmed her greatly. His forehead burned as if in fever. "No…" she whispered. "Please, no… don't die on us now."

* * *

The shadowy room faded to be replaced with light that was too bright. Rurik shaded his eyes and felt himself sinking. When he opened his eyes next he had to blink in surprise as he sat up slowly. He was in Ascalon, Drascir, to be exact. He got out of the bed, and as he leaned against the windowsill in his room, he held up a hand to his head.

He knew he had been dreaming but he couldn't remember what the dream had been about. He just remembered a vague horror that sank into his very soul, and a deep, deep pain.

A knock on his door alerted him to the fact that he had slept in a bit but as it was his rest day, he was not actually expecting anyone. "Come in," he called as he pulled his tunic over his head.

His younger brother—why did he feel that there was something pulling at the back of his mind?—walked in and asked him, "Have you seen my fishing tackle?"

Rurik shook his head as his brother grabbed his arm and pulled him out, laughing, "Oh come on, then help me find it!"

They ran, slowing to a walk when they were by the library, then running full tilt to the outside. Rurik looked around and followed his brother to the lake.

When they got there, Rurik suddenly realized why everything had seemed off. The people were all Charr, and the lake from his childhood was one of tar… and the green lands were burnt.

Rurik turned, suddenly the grown man again instead of the boy barely into his teens, looking on the ruins of Drascir that were slanted as he remembered the last time he had seen Drascir when he had to walk through their ruins in order to free captives and there they had found the mouthpiece of the Horn of Doric.

Another dizzy spell overtook him and he closed his eyes as it seemed to wash out into a bright white, then black.

* * *

Mhenlo looked over the stricken King as Barradin and few of the other lords watched. He looked up at Arya who seemed as pale and shaken as the rest of them, "What happened before this? How did he seem?"

"He looked exhausted," answered Barradin. "Arya and I were trying to make him feel better by telling him that we were sure we could find the Queen, but when I left he looked as if he was sleeping peacefully… finally."

Mhenlo looked up at Arya, "I wasn't asked the Duke, I was asking you, Lady Arya. You were the last one with him before this. How was he?"

"He was as the Duke said," she lied, secretly hoping that the Shadow hadn't betrayed them. "One minute he was sleeping and the next he began to convulse. I don't know why."

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Mhenlo said, "I'm afraid this is beyond my knowledge. The sages are looking into the libraries to see if there is any precedent of a similar illness, and, more importantly, if there is a remedy. Now, he needs rest. Unfortunately all I can do is keep him comfortable and hope he fights it off himself, which he is, by the way. He doesn't want to give up. I can sense it…"

The other lords left, murmuring as they did so, although Duke Barradin stayed, as did Arya Bladedancer. Mhenlo straightened up and said, "Arya, while I admire your discretion, but could you please tell us the truth this time?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, "I met this creature not far from Grendich. He… she… or it… said that for a price he could find me the Queen by using the shared link through the Soul Bond to actually read where she is."

Barradin took a breath but Mhenlo put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Wait. Let her finish."

With a nod from Barradin, Arya explained, "So I came here. I wanted to see if the rumors were true and I was horrified to learn that Selena was missing. All I could see was how Rurik reacted when Althea went missing happening all over again, only this time with disasterous results. So I accepted the Shadow's offer and allowed it to follow me by living in my Shadow. You see, that's the only way it can travel is in shadow, but my companions would only travel by day and so it could not travel any other way. Not to mention it needed host to hold it to this plane."

"And so you gave it Rurik," Barradin growled. "Gods, woman, this goes far, far beyond any mistake."

"Wait," said Mhenlo. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't the full story?"

"Well, after Barradin left I allowed the Shadow to enter Rurik, only, the King put up a fight and ended up as you see him now. That's all I know about it, I swear!"

Mhenlo thought for a moment, "I have heard of such creatures. The only solace is that not all are evil, or harmful. Some require a living host to merely allow them to finish some unfinished business and once that is done they allow themselves to travel into the Rift."

"That's what it claimed," Arya cheered immediately. "It wanted to travel to the Rift but to do that it said it had to finish something. And he needed Prince Rurik to do that."

"'Prince Rurik?'" asked both Mhenlo and Barradin in surprise, and Mhenlo said, "Prince, not King?"

"I am thinking that our Shadow died before King Adelburn did," mused Arya. "A long time before. It mentioned you, Duke Barradin, rather fondly."

For a moment Barradin was silent. Then he sat down, rubbing his face with one hand. "You're quite sure it said that?"

"With my whole soul," swore Arya again. "It did not say much else than that."

As if answering all their questions, Rurik moaned one name that added to Barradin's sorrow, "_Althea_…"


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**_

* * *

Once they were in Kryta, Selena looked over the green forests and frowned. The two Kurzicks also frowned as they looked at her swollen belly. A few months had passed since she had been stolen from Ascalon and they were long enough away to now see that before leaving Ascalon she was again to be a mother. _Rurik should be pleased_, she mused although worry again sank onto her thoughts. _Now what? The White Mantle will steal the child and kill me… will Rurik's child now be his enemy_?

She lowered her head and sighed. The elder Kurzick looked over and then looked at his colleague who could only shrug as he asked in his own language something she was obviously not meant to hear. The elder frowned, but nodded his agreement. "My lady Ambassador," he said thoughtfully, as if considering each word carefully. "Before we are to turn you over to our contract holder, we wish to take you before the House Elder, the Count of House zu Heltzer. It… may change things if you will but act the Ambassador for a while longer yet."

She blinked in surprise. "Of course. It would be an honor."

* * *

The next time he opened his eyes he was standing in New Ascalon and, strangely, he knew that this time he was simply observing as a ghost would.

He walked around, slightly lost at first, until finally he saw Selena as she walked from the keep on the hill with Salamar in arms. An even odder sensation was watching his own vanguard carry his unconscious form down the path in a litter. Selena opened the door to the house and held it as they disappeared inside.

"Funny feeling, isn't it?" asked the Shadow. "Being dead, that is."

"I'm not dead," he answered.

"But you were and so you know the feeling, and are familiar with it. Now you live again and I remain dead," answered the Shadow. "But that is all right. I am not angry."

It almost sounded like the Shadow chuckled.

"What is the point of this?" asked Rurik.

"The point is to show you that you have strength even if you don't see it. You have been raised to believe that you must be the strong one alone and not to accept help from outside sources. This—and nothing else—was your downfall in the first place, Rurik," explained the Shadow. "And it will continue to be your one glaring fault, as well as your best feature. This is your double-edged sword and it gives you balance if you would know it for what it is. But, alas, you see it simply as an advantage and ignore the fault."

Rurik looked at the Shadow, "How is it that you know so much about me?"

The Shadow coalesced into a definite form. Rurik sucked in a breath and he felt the tears begin to fall. "_Althea_…"

* * *

It was a long hard road to recovery, one would say. And so it was with even Akruan Soulblesser. As it was, recovering was the farthest from his mind once he heard about the events unfolding in Ascalon and the palace city of Rin. He lay there in bed as the ranger, Terrence La Rune, relayed the latest, "And so they say Arya betrayed the King. They are holding her. What's your take on this?"

"Arya would not betray King Rurik," maintained Akruan. "It's absurd. I'm sure it's just a big misunderstanding."

He tried to sit up but gasped in pain as he fell back into his bed, clutching his ribs. "Terrence, I need to ask something of you."

"Anything," said Terrence, nodding, suddenly concerned.

"In the fight, and flight, from the Guild Hall I was mortally wounded. The dwarves have take care of me the best they could, but it won't matter soon," Akruan gritted his teeth.

"Can't you heal yourself?" asked Terrence in confusion. "You are a monk…"

"I'm a boon and protect monk, not a healer. I don't have the same skills as others who have specialized in Healing all their lives," Akruan saw Terrence open his mouth again, about to ask another confused question. "Oh sure, the occasional bruise or cuts I can heal. They're simple and usually on the surface. But this… this is inside. I can feel it. The dwarves have very little in the way of healing as all their healers were sent to the front lines with the war with the Stone Summit. I need you to find Arya, find out the truth… and take care of her for me."

Terrence's eyes opened wide in surprise as he began to shake his head, "Me? No way, Akruan. She doesn't need my help."

"Yes, she does. She's…" Akruan stopped for a moment. "She won't take the fact that half her guild was killed in one fell swoop in the main battle, and then another half of those died on the way to survive. No, out of the two hundred strong we had that were active, we have been cut down to a mere thirty or so survivors. She will need your support, and that of those who have survived. I need you to do what I cannot."

Terrence thought for a moment. "I swear I will do what you ask of me."

Akruan nodded.

* * *

Siuil La Rune walked into the port city of Lion's Arch with a sigh as Sadsa Asd followed behind him with Alesia Baptiste, Stefan and Little Thom. So much had changed as more refugees, this time from the mysterious continent of Cantha, had begun to populate Northern Kryta.

However, these refugees had brought with them their war and now they had two factions, the Luxons and the Kurzicks, who were constantly fighting over the new territory. Unfortunately, Little Thom had discovered a grisly problem as the Ascalons in the Settlement not too far from either camp who had been part of the soldiering population had become sell swords and had taken part in a all out faction war in Kryta by selling out to the highest bidder on either side.

The Lion guard had been rightfully angered by this and had told Captain Greywind that he either find a way to solve this new problem or that all three groups of refugees could go back to where they came from. Even Queen Salma was angered.

And so Duke Siuil, a newly minted noble thanks to his eldest daughter's marriage to King Rurik, had been called in to both smooth over the strained relations between Ascalon and Kryta.

After all no one wanted another war between Ascalon and Kryta and so Rurik had sent Siuil and Sadsa.

"Well, that was interesting," pointed out Sadsa. "Do you think either side will ever get over what they are fighting over?"

"I seriously doubt it," admitted Siuil.

A Lionguard came running over and saluted them, "Duke Siuil La Rune, Lady Sadsa Asd, and companions, I have grave news."

"Let me guess, now there's bloodshed," said Little Thom.

"No, actually, Queen Salma is sending the Luxons and Kurzicks, as well as those who partook in the Faction Battles in the Northern Kryta, back to Cantha," said the Lionguard, as he pulled a scroll out of his tunic. "No, this is by far directly affecting you. Ahem… it reads… 'Duke Siuil La Rune, your presence is immediately required back in Rin. The king is deathly ill and the new Queen has gone missing'…"

He looked up in concern. "Are you all right?"

"That new Queen is his daughter," answered Sadsa gravely. "And, until I was called here I was one of her handmaidens and bodyguards."

The Lionguard compressed his lips into a thin line and pointed out, "There is more—the whole reason the King is ill. Evidently your former Guild Leader may have betrayed you all by exposing him to whatever it was that made him ill. He now fights for his life in Rin."

"That's the last thing we need," Little Thom pointed out. "Great. Just great. Now what do we do, your Grace?"

Siuil thought for a moment, "And my daughter?"

"Well, considering a Kurzick assassin was killed while trying to assassinate King Rurik at the time the Queen went missing, you can well guess the implications…" the Lion guard trailed off as Siuil flushed an angry red. "I know. It would appear that they are an insidious bunch, aren't they?"

"How long ago?"

"Well, let's see," the Lionguard read the letter again. "Dated just a few weeks ago. If those Kurzicks make good time and haven't been caught yet they would be on a river barge to Amnoon Oasis. From there they could catch a ship back to Cantha, but it will be a few weeks until they can get to the Oasis."

"Then we head that way and cut them off," said Little Thom.

"No, there is still a pirate's town to the North, where the river mouth is still in Kryta and across the river to the ruined Orr," Siuil pointed out. "Mind you, the undead could have over run it, but I don't think so. We should send two ships. One to where this pirate port is and the other to the Oasis to cut them off."

"Agreed," said the Lionguard. "Her majesty, Queen Salma, suspected you would come to that conclusion and has lent you two warships to take to either location. Given the piracy that runs in that area, she thought it would be a smart idea."

"Remind me to thank your Queen," smiled Siuil. "As usual, she thinks one step ahead of even me."

"Indeed," said the Lionguard. "The Gods speed your way, Duke Siuil La Rune. You'll need all the help you can get. Just in case they have decided not to take the sea route we will be waiting for them in the old Kurzick encampment with the help of your own people."

"Thank you!" yelled back Sadsa as she followed Siuil down to the docks.

When she caught up with him, she asked, "So, what do you think of this?"

"I don't like it. It's far to convenient to have everything happen at once," answered Siuil. "First, Selena is kidnapped, then Rurik falls ill. Too many coincidences. No, something is going on but I can't put my finger on it yet."

"Let's review what we know," Alesia stopped and, putting a finger on her chin as she thought about it once they were on board the ship. "First, at least two Kurzicks, maybe more, broke into the Palace City of Rin and kidnapped Selena, and then tried to kill Rurik. They planted a Charr carving and so knew about the war with the Charr and Ascalon. But why plant something like that if not to cause a war again? And what would they have to gain?"

Sadsa and Siuil looked at each other, and it was Siuil, who as he looked over to the empty town of D'Allessio Seaboard, said, "The White Mantle."

"Of course," agreed Reyna. "The Kurzicks were practically in their backdoor, and, fallen or not, they would still have the platinum to interest the Kurzicks in that contract. Kill the King and then bring his Queen as a trophy. Meanwhile, pin the blame on the Charr and cause a war all over again to bring shame."

Sadsa nodded, "Yeah, but we're going to prove that how?"

"We're going to capture the Kurzicks who took Selena and force it out of them," mused Little Thom. "Aren't we?"

"That would be it," Siuil lifted a brow. "But we have to find them first or we won't be able to. The Lionguard will execute them in the name of Queen Salma and ask questions later."

* * *

By now the dream, if that was what it indeed was, had turned into a frozen tableau of what Rin looked like. Green trees grew out of bare earth and were barely knee high but the Rangers of Ascalon were determined to make them grow. Lakes were actually beginning to look like lakes of blue again, although many were still toxic. It would take years, maybe generations to fully recover. But it was a start.

Now that war no longer took its toll, things could begin to recover.

Rurik looked behind him to the Shadow of Althea de Barradin. "You said that you could help me defeat the specter of Khilbron once and for all. How?"

"By making you let go."

"Let go?"

"Yes," the Shadow lost its definition as it moved around him to stand in front of him as it again took the form of Althea. "You hang on to him out of your guilt that you even allowed your soul to be bound to that undead body. You also hang on to my memory out of guilt because you feel that you let me die."

Rurik lowered his head. "Althea…"

A low laugh met him. "Rurik…"

He looked up into the one feature that he knew was hers, those blue eyes that now allowed him to see her as she had been in life. Reaching out he touched her hand and he grasped it. "I don't want to lose you."

"Ah, the indecision so out of character with you," she smiled. "But you must let me go. You are now married and have one son as handsome as you. Soon, you will have two daughters."

"Daughters?" his eyes widened as suddenly he was in the Shiverpeaks and he could see his beloved Selena in the company of two Kurzick men as they walked from one last snowy pass into warmer climes.

Soon, they exited the cave and he could see the sands of Kryta under their feet. But these details were as nothing compared to the now obviously swollen belly of Selena. He felt a strange feeling of his heart dropping in sorrow and fear, as well as the exultation that this time he would be there for the birth of this child. "Selena!" he called as he walked towards her.

She stopped as if she heard something, but the two men called her, one insistent although he could not hear any noise from the world she walked in.

It was at that moment Rurik realized the precarious position he was in. "I'm dying—I stand at the doorstep of the Rift and that of the living world," he murmured, and he turned to Althea in alarm. "But if I die then so does she…"

"Yes," Althea smiled sadly. "That was the price she paid for your life."

"I can't allow that."

"No, you can't," Althea stepped by him and the scene froze again as all he seen was Selena's profile in Kryta. "How much do you love her?"

"With everything I have," he answered.

"Then why do you hang on to me?"

"Because…" he blinked at looked down at his feet. "Because I love… I loved you as well with my whole being. I can't forget you or what you meant to me."

"But what was I to you?" she asked harshly. "We never even had much choice in the matter! The marriage was arranged by our fathers."

"That's not necessarily true," he whispered.

She blinked in surprise, "What was that?"

"I said that was not necessarily true, Althea," Rurik took a breath. "I chose you and asked for my father to arrange it. Then, once it was arranged… I always thought you wanted it for all it being arranged. It never occurred to me that Duke Barradin would simply tell you that you were to marry me and that would be that. I tried to court you… even went so far as to worry about finding that perfect gift…"

Her expression softened as she touched his face, "At first I hated you for that, you know. I had this crush on another man and he had been courting me. But once my father announced my betrothal to you that fell flat. But," she sighed, "You were so charming, so warm to me. I knew you liked me and that it wasn't just an arrangement by two fathers seeking to cement political power. It was you I thought of and felt nothing at the moment of my death. And it is for you that I still protect you now from the Rift."

He put his hand over hers as it rested on his cheek, and she kissed him chastely on the cheek and then whispered, "But you have to let me go. Remember what we were, yes, but you must be Selena's now or you will fail against what comes up against you in the battle for your soul. Allow me to help you one last time to fully bond with your wife's soul."

* * *

Selena turned, sure that she had heard name being called. Izumo turned to see her looking back, and noting the confused look on her face, asked, "What is it, Lady Ambassador?"

"I am sure it was nothing, but I thought I heard my name being called," she answered, knowing that with them, honesty was best if she wished to gain their trust.

"Interesting," said Ise. "I heard nothing. Perhaps it was the wind."

"Perhaps," she agreed noncommittally. "But I have heard no wind clearly call the name Selena…"

* * *

The dwarf was a surly barrel of a man, and he walked behind the tree and off the path as he could see plants bent over as if someone had walked through recently, although the prints had likely snowed over last night sometime. He looked up at the tree and sucked in a breath, "Great God of the Hammer!" he swore. "Ragnar, take a look at this."

Another dwarven ranger came around and looked up at the carved tree. "What do you make of that?" he asked.

Ragnar huffed, "Well, judging by the height it was done by a human hand. But the symbols are familiar. One moment… Hey… Minaar! C'mere and take a look at what Dagget found!"

A bit of grumbling later and Minaar looked up, and stopped in shock, "Glint's eyes and the beard of the Great Forger…"

"What is it?" asked Ragnar. "I think it's human."

"It is, by the Gods, it is," answered Minaar. "It's the sign of King Rurik's Vanguard on the top, and the old Keepers of the Shadow Empire guild crest below… and that, if I'm not mistaken, is the personal crest of the La Rune family beside that of the de Drascir family. Can you track the person who made these?"

"Aye, their path is not hard to follow, Minaar," answered the puzzled Ragnar, then his eyes widened in the realization at the same time as the other dwarf, Dagget, as they both swore, "By the Hammer…!"

"Yes, we just picked up the Queen of Ascalon's trail. Tell King Jalis to send a missive to Ascalon. We know where they are going and will pursue them ourselves," decided Minaar. "Go on, Dagget, you're the fastest runner of us all."

With a nod, Dagget took off running back up the mountain trail as Minaar turned to Ragnar. "Come on, we are two days behind them but they are not familiar with this territory, we can catch up to them through the passes."

* * *

Armin Saberlin turned as the Dwarven Ranger, now out of breath, ran into camp and, seeing him, ran straight over. Huffing as he was out of breath, "Sir, I will tell you first but then I am to find King Jalis and tell him. Two miles south by south west of here we found four symbols recently carved into a tree and a trail. Your Queen, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow, made it. If you show me your map I can mark it for you so you can find it and pick up Minaar and Ragnar's trail. They decided to go on and intercept the Queen's captors."

Warmaster Grast and Duke Gabin, who walked out during the last half of the dwarf's report watched as the dwarf ran off to find the King of the Dwarves. Gabin turned to Saberlin and Grast, "So… our King was right after all. She is still alive. This is good news."

"And the break we were waiting for," pointed out Master Saberlin. "I will organize a party of rangers. Aidan can give chase much faster than we can and will mark a trail. By your leave, your Grace."

Gabin nodded, "And tell him Gods speed. Bring Queen Selena back to us."


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight_**

* * *

Arya Bladedancer paced back and forth in the suite they had assigned to her. While she was allowed to move about within the Palace, Duke Barradin had told her that if she left, she would not be coming back. With a sigh she leaned up against the windowsill and looked out into the city below. People scurried from place to place, throwing uncertain looks at the Palace.

"Dammit, Shadow, you had better know what you're doing," she muttered.

"Beginning to rethink this?" asked a voice behind her as she stood up and nearly tripped over the large Melandru's stalker behind her.

She turned; ready to tell the other person exactly where they could stick their cat and how fast to put it there when her voice died in her throat at the look on Terrence La Rune's face. "What is it?" she asked.

He looked down sorrowfully. "I think you should sit down."

* * *

"Terry…" whispered Akruan as Terrence gave him the cup of water to drink.

It had been the first time since Akruan Soulblesser had actually awoke since, as what one inexperienced dwarven monk called it, the sleep of death had descended on him. Terrence was concerned, as Akruan's breathing had steadily grown shallower and more erratic. "Yeah?" asked Terrence softly.

"You… will… take care of Arya… won't you?"

"I said I would," Terrence gritted his teeth.

"Good…" Akruan nodded once.

Then in one last grimace of pain, went limp in Terrence's arms. His breathing slowed, and then with one last shuddering sigh, the monk died. For a long moment Terrence sat there silently as a certain measure of shock overtook him.

This was the man that no matter what had been one of the best battle monks Terrence had ever seen. The man had fought at his side numerous times… but now—Terrence laid him down in the bed and laid the covers over his head—he had finally passed on into the Rift.

The next day, after allowing a respectable time to pass with Akruan lying in state in the small chapel, the dwarves built a stone cairn of out large rocks. Terrence watched from the entrance of the chapel to Dwayna as he turned Akruan's holy symbol over and over in his hands as Cambe snuffled beside him. He scratched between the ears of the large cat and said, "Yeah, yeah. I'll be all right. I'm just sort of in shock, is all."

Finally, a dwarven monk came up to him. "We are ready for the young man's funeral."

"Give him a few more hours to lay in state," said Terrence with a sigh. "I know no one will show up but… I need my own time right now."

The dwarf nodded and went back to preparing the funeral pyre.

* * *

For a long moment Arya sat still and silent in shock. Then she blinked as she looked at Terrence and the sorrow on his face. Then she fell back into the chair, missing it completely as her legs gave out underneath her. She sat on the floor, one leg underneath her, as she leaned her back against the chair. Terrence rushed forward and hugged her as she clung to him. "I'm sorry… there was nothing I could do to save him," he whispered as she shuddered as her sobs wracked her frame.

"No…" she beat her arms against him. "Tell me it's a dream. A bad dream. Tell me this is your sick idea of a joke. Just… don't let it be true!"

Terrence held her closer as he finally allowed a few tears of his own to roll down his face and into his beard. "I'm sorry, Arya," his own voice broke as he brought out Akruan's holy symbol and laid it in her hands. "I really wish I could."

* * *

They were just entering the North Kryta Province from Scoundrel's Rise when everything fell apart. Lionguard surrounded the caravan on all sides and one, presumably the leader, approached the wagon. "Is there a problem, ma'am?" asked Izumo.

"Where are you coming from, men of the Kurzicks?" asked the Lionguard captain.

"We come from Ascalon, from over the Shiverpeaks where we were trading in rare stones and art," answered Ise.

One Lionguard nodded to the other, and the captain, a woman of no short stature, came up to them and demanded, "Then you won't mind us checking your wagon?"

"Of course we don't," answered Ise. "May I ask why?"

"The Queen of Ascalon went missing, and the only suspect caught was a Kurzick. We have been inspecting every caravan as suspect," answered the Lionguard Captain.

"I will be filing a formal complaint…" warned Ise.

"You do that, and be sure to list that my name is Captain Betta of the Lionguard," she said as her officers began to circle the wagon, tapping it as one looked under the tarpaulin. Izumo watched them in disinterest, hoping that if he feigned a lack of worry they would believe that they had nothing to hide. Selena was again hidden in the compartment as they had known that the closer they would get to Lion's Arch the more likely it was they would run into either Lionguard or others of Ascalon.

One tapped one part of the floor accidentally when he slipped and fell. Noting the hollow sound, he tapped another part. It was then the two Kurzicks began to feel concern. He frowned and looked over at Captain Betta who said, "I think you should climb down out of the wagon now, sirs. Or else we shall make you."

Ise nodded to Izumo who then snapped the reins and the horses took off. One quick ranger managed to get a few arrows off and Izumo fell off, two arrows in his back. He rolled a few times and lay still. Ise dove for the reins and managed to get control back as the wagon careened down the hill towards the beach as the horses ran in fright. These were no warhorses and their fear was almost a definite smell in the air. He could hear the Lionguard shouting and, looking back, he could see them running after the wagon. Once he was on the beach, he ducked down a bit to prevent the same fate as Izumo.

What he didn't expect were the Ascalons on the beach.

Or King Rurik's Vanguard that was defending those same Ascalons as they fished on said beach.

* * *

Rurik opened his eyes next and found himself in Ascalon City as it was when he fell ill after being possessed by Althea. Althea, the Shadow, was walking towards the Academy and he followed. He noted that as he ran through the city that people went about their business, and he could run through them.

Soon they came to the entrance of the Academy and walked through the Gates.

On the other side, in the same grey area between life and death that he found himself upon being taken by the Shadow, was the Lich Lord. This time, when Rurik took out his flaming dragon sword, it burned in a pure white flame. The Lich Lord turned.

"So, you finally choose to accept your fate."

"I do."

"Good, I so despise waiting."

"My fate involves sending you to the Rift where you belong, demon spawn," snarled Rurik and he used the very strength given to him by Althea and Selena.

The Lich Lord deflected the first blow, but the second he was powerless against as Rurik banished his darkness with the light of the love that he had found from his family.

Khilbron fell back with a snarl and countered. A shield of blue light formed on Rurik's arm as he countered the savage attack by the Lich's claws with the shield. This shield, he knew, was the strength lent to him by his friends.

"You won't defeat me so easily."

"I can defeat you," said Rurik. "And now I know that life isn't something you spend alone and let pride get in the way of accepting what your friends can give you in strength. I have spent my life defending the weak, and the powerless, in my Kingdom. But now I realize that sometimes I'm the one that's weak and powerless. And in that there is also strength in drawing on the strength that can be lent to me by others who only wish to help me for no other reason than that they love me."

Rurik laid down his sword. "And it is in that I pity you, Khilbron. You live a life knowing only hate, only bloodshed. And only death. I have been blessed with life, love, and now peace. Begone…"

One tear slid down his cheek. "But I pity you and know that it won't matter because no one deserves not to know that. But I don't fear you anymore either because eventually everyone that knows only hate will let it consume them."

With one last shout, the darkness fell.

And Khilbron was gone.

Althea smiled once, "Rurik… I love you… and when the time comes I will be waiting for you."

A touch as light as that as a butterfly caressed his cheek and then was gone. Rurik gasped as he realized that the lost feeling was gone.

And he opened his eyes to a canopy, and the ceiling above. "Thank the Gods! Your Majesty… how are you feeling?" asked Mhenlo as he ran over to the side of his bed.

Rurik blinked; slightly confused at the sudden change in the vision of the grey area of life and death to that of his life, and that he was again conscious and alive. With one shaky breath he said, "Mhenlo… bring me Arya Bladedancer and Duke Barradin."

"Are you sure? Perhaps you should rest first?" asked Mhenlo. "In fact, I insist on it."

With another sigh, Rurik closed his eyes, a smile on his face. "You're right. I need the rest."

With that he fell into a true and restful sleep.

* * *

Captain Greywind started at the sound of shouts as he watched the wagon that was obviously barely in control. He shouted to his men, and the fishermen began to move out of the way. Finally, he heard the clearer shouts, "Shoot the man! He's a fugitive!"

Greywind drew his sword and the horse drawn wagon careened towards the water as the horses reared in panic. Finally, the ties that held them to the wagon snapped and the wagon was tossed into the water.

The man controlling it fell into the water, drew a curved sword with a single blade, and came at his attackers as an Ascalon Ranger, seeing the violence in the man's eyes, took aim, fired, and the man fell back into the water as the blood blossomed out into the sea. The Lionguard still gave chase as the wagon, which was just deep enough to be caught by the waves and pulled out to sea.

It floated lazily in the waves as the Lionguard ran into the water as the Captain of the Lionguard stopped. "Oh no! We have to get it out of there before it sinks!"

Greywind then heard over the waves the sound of a woman crying and screaming for help. The voice was familiar and he tried to place it as he ran into the water to help pull on the ropes that fought against the sea current that pulled the wagon farther out as it began to sink, bubbles escaping from a air bubble… like a compartment was in the bottom and kept it afloat.

* * *

Selena pounded on the top of the compartment and tried to kick it open as she felt the horses pull the wagon at break neck speed. She cried out at the top of her lungs.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the motion stopped… then that relief turned to panic when she felt the first hint of seawater in the locked compartment. "Oh Gods! Someone help me! It's filling up with water!"

She heard Captain Betta tell someone, "Oh no! We have to get it out of there before it sinks!"

Selena started to scream, and then she heard Captain Greywind, "Come on, men and women of Ascalon, heave!"

"_GREYWIND!_ Help me!" she screamed.

* * *

Greywind thought his heart would drop into his feet when he heard the plaintive, "_GREYWIND!_ Help me!" from the wagon compartment.

"Gods," he breathed. "It's the Queen! It's Queen Selena! Come on! _Heave_ those ropes like you've never heaved before in the name of Ascalon! Dwayna preserve her… _Heave_, I say!"

Finally, the wagon came in close enough that the Lionguard could physically touch it without having to resort to swimming as an axe was passed and they chopped into the hinges that held the compartment. It came loose and another pried it open with a sword. Water rushed in and an Ascalon fisherman, who was swimming in the water, dove into the suddenly sinking wagon, and then came to the surface with Selena, who was sputtering and coughing from the water.

"Thank the Gods!" Captain Greywind helped her out of the water and to the shore.

"Captain… I have never been so glad to see you," said Selena.

"Don't thank me, if not for Captain Betta, we would have never known that you needed the help," Greywind motioned to the Lionguard who knelt to Selena.

"Your Majesty, welcome again to Kryta. I am sorry that again, your arrival was not under the best of circumstances," Captain Betta apologized. "Please allow me to take you to the palace in Lion's Arch where you will receive the proper welcome to our nation."

"Thank you, Captain," Selena nodded. "So long as Captain Greywind is welcome. I miss my fellow Ascalons after so long away."

"It shall be done as you wish, your Majesty."

* * *

Siuil La Rune arrived back in Ascalon a few months later to learn that, again, he was about to be a grandfather. He was almost through the first gate when Rurik himself greeted him. Siuil stopped for a long moment as he regarded the King. "What's wrong my friend?" asked Rurik as he took the man's hand in a hearty shake.

"You look better, but, you don't," answered Siuil.

And that much was true. The health that Rurik had been missing since being brought back from death was back and he seemed as lively and energetic as he had been before the Frost Gate. The old Rurik was back… but… a mature, more serious Rurik he was.

It didn't help that now Rurik had one lock of hair that was completely snow white and his hair was silvering far earlier than it should have. His beard, once almost black so dark a brown it had been, was now mostly silver.

Rurik smiled sadly, "Ah yes, that. Trust me, you are not the first one who has noticed. But, the worst is over and all that matters is that my friends are close to me again. Come, we have much to catch up on."

* * *

In the spring, just weeks after she had arrived in Ascalon, Selena delivered twin girls. Both had her mother's light brown, almost red, hair and her green eyes. Rurik came into the birthing room and sat down beside her as he looked into the bundles that slept in her arm. He smoothed back her hair and kissed his wife's cheek. "Beautiful…" he murmured.

"What will we name them?" she asked, opening her eyes to look at him tiredly.

He smiled as he looked at them again. His smile took on a sad note, "Althea," he named the first one, with an approving nod from Selena, "and Milena."

Selena looked up in surprise. "Milena was my mother's name."

"I know," he answered quietly. "And that's why I thought it would be perfect."

"It is."

"Good, then. I think your father would like to know this as well," said Rurik as he kissed her forehead again. "Get some rest."

She smiled as she closed her eyes again. "Little girls… our girls."

"And the most beautiful princesses they will be in all the land," he murmured as he walked from the room and Delei and the midwife entered again.

Siuil walked up to him. "Well?"

"Twins…" Rurik smiled. "Twin girls. Althea and Milena."

Arya put her hand on Siuil's shoulder, "Congratulations, Grandpa."

"Here, here!" agreed King Jalis. "Congratulations to the mother and father."

Delei came back out and said, "Her Majesty says that if you would refrain from such loud outbursts, you may meet the new princesses."

* * *

Walking to the stone that memorialized those who died during the Charr Invasion, Rurik knelt as he laid the pendant on the stone. "I named one Althea. I thought you would appreciate it. Maybe, in Princess Althea, you can live on. I miss you… and I still love you. But you're right. It's time I stopped living in the past and began living for my present and future. I have three children of my own to think of—and a wife who has given them to me. We will meet again in the Rift, and I hope that perhaps we…"

Rurik didn't finish as he smiled slightly as the sun broke, illuminating the lake as it gave it this beautiful blue shine like that of her eyes.

There were still many matters that would require his attention. How the Kurzicks had made it past their defenses would have to be looked into, as well as why. And this faction war that had spilled over from Kryta was another thing.

Not to mention that Mhenlo had received a letter from his former master. Now he was a rather nervous sort as he tried to think of what would cause Master Togo to call on him now.

With a sigh, Rurik turned back to Ascalon City and watched the rebuilding.

Recovery.

It seemed that it was needed in more ways than one—but at least this was a start.

* * *

**_FIN_**

**_

* * *

_**


End file.
